Atlanta entrepreneur is Iraq's 'king of fun'

I hate being off topic, but:

In reference to those who are the first to call others "racist," "bigoted," etc., etc., just be quiet. Is someone going to admit they're racist (et al)? No, they're not. Everyone has their problems and crap with other groups of people. Everyone is "racist" to a certain extent. Get over yourselves. You're only human.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Actually, I freely admit that I am a racist (or racially prejudiced). That alone does not preclude a person from making individual value judgements, there is just a bias to overcome. Hell, if a woodie snob can love a steel coster, then all is not lost is it?

lata, jeremy

--who is so much a mutt he is bound to be racist against himself ;)

Jeff said: "...what can any of us really do about it?"...

I'm not really sure here, but we've GOT to do a better job overall...the only real advantage America as a nation has is in its DIVERSITY, which should be a strength...it becomes a weakness when we divide ourselves along "lines", be they racial, ethnic, religious, economic, sexual preference, etc. It's my *considered opinion* that the US had better *get it TOGETHER*, and soon. Peace and Love, acceptance, and tolerance for others is *always* gonna be the best bet in the long run, but then again I'm an *economist*, so I've been trained to think in terms of "the long run".....

bill, saying please spare me the Eagles jokes, you stupid hippies...;)

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And CoastaPlaya to me, you are the one that I see as racist. It seems every post I read that have posted in, you make someone elses post sound like they were the ones racist.

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It's already racist--I'm just explaining why it is.

And exactly what does this so-called 'racism' cost you? A feeling of discomfort? Slight embarrassment at some of your own thoughts? That's less than nothing. But that leads to the next reply coming up.

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But if that other race was to use the n-word that some people of that decent call themselves, that other race gets slammed and fired or whatever.

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And since you obviously weren't raised any better, I guess I have to explain to you why:

There's a lot more to that name than hundreds of years of slavery. There's school textbooks and encyclopedias published as recently as the late 1930s and 40s that matter-of-factly explained to young children that African-Americans were inferior and subhuman. Next story: Why rain comes down or how electricity works. This is what your grandparents were taught. Not told, taught in school. Do you honestly believe some law changed that? It only made certain acts illegal. No laws change the way people think.

When blacks were sent out the back door of an office where they applied for a job, denied living in a clean, decent apartment they could afford, denied seating in a restaurant or seated in the back and fed from dirty, hocked-in plates that was the name your grandparents called them. Are you getting just an inkling of an idea why?

Think I'm talking about Klansmen? Maybe. Think I'm talking about the Deep South? Think again. The KKK had its headquarters in Indianapolis at its strongest and its largest membership in the north. Betcha weren't taught that in school.

So no you really don't have any business using that word. Caucasians used it for all the wrong reasons for far too long. If you need more, go visit a library until you figure it out.

See, that's why I have to raise my children to become your bosses...because the lessons of history aren't simply lost on the young. They aren't taught at all.

I'm sure you'll call her a 'token' -- whether or not affirmative action exists--when she takes the reins and she'll be a bigot when she empties your desk and shows you the door, too.

Ya know why? Because when someone gets told something they don't wanna hear or ordered to do something they don't want to do from someone of a different heritage, that's the instant that person becomes a fill-in-the-racial-slur-of-your-choice-here. Am I lying? And if that's the case, everybody's a racist to some extent.

-'Playa

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.
*** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya on 12/5/2002. ***

CoastaPlaya said:

"You might wanna read the thread completely--there's obvious references to article factoids back as early as posts 4 and 5."

I see... but what I was implying was, does anyone want to talk about the article rather than the bickering I see here.

Can we break from this?

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Break from it? Read the thread again. The skipper and I had done so hours and hours ago. Why don't you tell everybody else to lay off? Funny their statements didn't draw one word of protest from you...

-'Playa

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo. *** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya on 12/5/2002. ***

Playa, ya done did it again!!! You made my brown ass proud

Now there's a mental picture I really didn't need. And how does an ass display pride exactly?

WAIT WAIT WAIT please don't answer that.

-'Playa

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.

Heck he even makes my white ass proud ;)

People teach your kids right. Black, White Asian, Hispanic whatever or we will forever be in this situation.

Playa has exactly the right attitude.

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Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!

I AM WITTY! *** This post was edited by MagnumForce on 12/5/2002. ***

Yeah but Playa, my grandfather was a poor farmer from Eastern Europe. ;)

-"the Strike" who thinks that sarcasm is hard to deliver online.

But that's because you're 820 years old and the kids I was responding to were in their teens.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to throw up--thanks in no small part to MagnumForce.

-'Playa

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo. *** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya on 12/5/2002. ***

I don't care what any of you think. I was getting at the point what I WISHED people could get on topic, but SOME folks get overly defensive and self righteous, so I guess that won't be happening.

I don't care if you don't like me. Bite me.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? *** This post was edited by General Public on 12/5/2002. ***

LOL

Oh come on I have been told I have a very nice ass, just ask Jen.

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Coming in 2003-The Spawn Of Magnum!

I AM WITTY!

This just in: General Public is not the Topic Captain this week. Next week isn't looking too good either.

Anyone with the slightest skills at real-life oral conversation with people know that topics go where they go. If you don't like this one, I'm sure there's plenty of coaster-related ones around somewhere. Toodles.

And I'm already married--so don't mind me if I pass on your little offer there.

-'Playa

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.

*** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya on 12/5/2002. ***

Whatever, self-deisgnated topic captain.

I wouldn't want to be like you. And I am sure you'll tell me why in a clever remark sometime.

Love ya!

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

*** This post was edited by General Public on 12/5/2002. ***

820? Not even close. But I did go to pre school with Bob Dole and Jesus Christ.

-The Strike who's asking JC to share the friggen Cheerios. *** This post was edited by Feel the Strike on 12/5/2002. ***

'Playa,

Things got a little crazy when I left work yesterday, didn't they? Sorry about that.

To the others, I was the brunt of the attack and I don't feel that 'Playa has said anything that would classify him as racist. Once I realized what comments set off the spark, I addressed them.

In college I took a diversity class taught by an African-American woman (the term she chose) who said that anyone who says that aren't even the slightest bit racist is most likely a liar or just hasn't devled deep into their persona. At first I disagreed completely but by the end of the course I think she was probably right.

Lastly, with all of the dud topics floating around the forums (L-TH-TW-B) this one, for the most part, has been interesting, educational, and engaging even though it strayed off topic.

I agree. There isn't much to talk about, so I'm OK with this kind of departure. And don't worry, GP, the only person who needs to worry about what is on or off topic, or if it even matters, is me. Thank you for playing.

'Playa... I have to say that the context you put "the 'N' word" in is easily the second best I've seen (the first was from our "director of multi-cultural affairs" in college, a black Republican if you're in to breaking stereotypes). There should be no question about why it's hurtful for white folks to use that word.

The thing about everyone being racist to some degree I'm not ready to accept. I might be sexist (because women are indeed superior to men in so many ways), and I might hate stupid people, but racist I don't buy. Chalk it up to growing up in the desegregation age, I suppose.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Climbing as we fall, we dare to hold on to our fate, and steal away our destiny to catch ourselves with quiet grace" - The Stairs, INXS

Jeff, with my wife just having had a baby recently I will agree with you 150%. Women are indeed superior to men and are far stronger.

I really had a hard time with the "everyone is racist" thing too but after 14 weeks of study I started to understand it. The thing to get past is that it is ok that I am a little racist, as long as I don't intentionally inflict harm because of it.

I am Catholic. I have a problem understanding why some people can't or won't accept Christ. However, I don't act on it or push my beliefs on others. Similar situation.

We have an issue here in Fla about the strong influx of Latin people. I don't think my tax dollars should be spent to make road signs in Spanish, text books is Spanish, etc. Many others here feel the same way and people start throwing around the term racist.

Frankly, if I move to Germany I expect I better learn some German if I want to survive and I feel the same should be said of people who move here. I think both sides have valid point and we should be able to have an intelligent debate about it without it becoming a racist debate.

But it is a racist debate. It's inevitable because people will use it to further their own ends.

You see, the bigots among you will attempt to seize the opportunity to push back any existing progress. They will argue that English should be the official language of all government business-no bilingual forms and no assistance to non-English speaking people (which of course, gives them difficulty or even bars them from access to services that could help them).

On the other hand, the bigots on the other side will argue that absolutely everything should be in Spanish--and if it isn't, it is by definition an unfair barrier. In their mind, everything in Spanish equals parity and equality and anything less is a compromise.

Of course, none of us here have an absolute and true picture of what living every day in a foreign place is like, so we spout off based on our own POV.

And here we see the difference between a racist and a bigot. Racists on both sides will question, discuss and ponder while a bigot already has their mind made up and refuses to even think about change.

-'Playa

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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.

*** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya on 12/5/2002. ***