Doesn’t Matter Who Wins the K Race; We’re All the Same

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower

I only where my navy suit and leather back satchel when biking with dtb. In the office, all I wear is a loin cloth made of Peruvian Vicuña fur, a gold rope chain, and neon platform boots.

You wear neon AFTER Labor Day?

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

You wear neon AFTER Labor Day?

You realize it's before Labor Day, so you should be criticizing the fur.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

You realize it's before Labor Day, so you should be criticizing the fur.

Before I got my penis extension I always wore fur, for the padding. I get Flower’s choice there.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower

I only where my navy suit and leather back satchel when biking with dtb. In the office, all I wear is a loin cloth made of Peruvian Vicuña fur, a gold rope chain, and neon platform boots.

The boss can wear whatever the fuck he wants.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

You push back on everything. Constantly. Incessantly.

Part of that is reflexive, personality driven. I tend to do that here.

When we finally make a little progress, it's because a white woman wrote a book saying the same things from a white person's perspective. Then you write a post about how black people should outline a day in their lives.

That was a takeaway I had after reading Diangelo. White people don't understand what it's like to live as a black person because they never listen and black people are exhausted. But a black person writing a book just coldly outlining his or her everyday experience and where racism occurs in the most mundane of circumstances struck me as a really good device. This was meant constructively.

Again, you need to understand that someone asking you to take a look at why you're saying the things you're saying does not mean you are a racist in the sense that you're taking it. Inspect what you're saying and be cognizant that some of it might be colored with preconceived notions.

I understand that. I grasp the broad use of "racism." My frustration was with Adder's immediate race to it as the main explanation, npi. You cite it where you suspect it is present, but I notice, you don't immediately announce it is the sole or even a main cause of something. Adder runs to it immediately.

I have realized this -- I am terribly and intentionally bigoted in one regard: Towards Adder. I can have a back and forth with you, but he irritates me to no end.

If it's not, make your case. But the point is to be able to have a conversation without turning the whole thing on its head by focusing on the fact that you think someone else thinks your racist.

With you, I have, and I'm glad you compelled me to read the book. It's going to be very hard for me not to get massively irritated with him, however. The same thing happens when he and I discuss economics. He and I should simply agree not to interact except in regard to jokes.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?

The boss can wear whatever the fuck he wants.

Dissent: Double breasted suits.

I know they've made a comeback and among purists, Italian ambassadors, and David Letterman, they never went out of style, but something about them just doesn't work.

I could see perhaps a double breasted sport jacket, if done with really solid tailoring. But the suit just looks uncomfortable, designed by someone with little understanding of how the human form moves. All of that and the fact that a bad one screams used car dealer. I saw a lawyer in a tan one a few months back. Snickering is reaction one. Two is pity. It's just Wrong.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

No. The point I'm making is that it is impossible to be both. Anyone who says they are is either purposefully full of shit or fooling themselves. You can't be both.

TM

I think he pretty accurately sums himself up. Is socially tolerant and open, but doesn't feel the need to do anything about anything.

Also lives in the one place in the country where one's vote literally does not count.

I should have moved there. That would allow me to be utterly consistent. I pretty much lived there for two years in the late 90s. Why didn't I stay? The district is crushing it now. Property values are flying, the local economy is doing well (even with a GOP president) and expanding. I'm a fuck up. I had job prospects there. But then I'd never have met my wife. Trade offs...

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

When I was at BIGLAW, I was on the elevator with an older black man in a suit. I tried to steer him to the floor with all of the conference rooms, because in the suit I took him for a client. Turns out he was a temporary legal secretary, and thought I was suggesting he didn't belong there. I'm sure he was dressing up to err on the side of being professional. My mistake, and I hope my apology and explanation helped.

I mistook a black man who walked into a meeting for someone who was lost because he was dressed in a white button down, jeans, and tennis shoes, which was much less formal than everyone else in the meeting. Turns out that anesthesiologists don't bring the business casual with them for when they change out of their scrubs if they're in the hospital that day. He literally left the operating room for the meeting and grabbed whatever was in his locker. Fortunately I didn't say anything, but it was definitely a reminder that I need to not jump to conclusions so readily.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I should have moved there. That would allow me to be utterly consistent. I pretty much lived there for two years in the late 90s. Why didn't I stay? The district is crushing it now. Property values are flying, the local economy is doing well (even with a GOP president) and expanding. I'm a fuck up. I had job prospects there. But then I'd never have met my wife. Trade offs...

It's a zero-sum place and a one-industry town. Everyone's status turns on their power vis-a-vis government. There's only so much of that, so no one gains unless someone else loses. Loved where we lived there, but I don't regret leaving.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I should have moved there.

where?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

where?

[Adder]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I have realized this -- I am terribly and intentionally bigoted in one regard: Towards Adder.

Let's remember what I actually said that started this:

Well, if you've got the racism of people working in various industries backing you up...

You know, I almost buy that your problem is an inability to read what I actually write...

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

It's a zero-sum place and a one-industry town. Everyone's status turns on their power vis-a-vis government. There's only so much of that, so no one gains unless someone else loses. Loved where we lived there, but I don't regret leaving.

I love where you lived. I visit family there frequently. I spent most of my time there in the late 90s in Foxhall. Walk down Exorcist steps, bar hop through Georgetown. It was really great back in the day when it was less pricey. More charming.

Now it's NY/SF prices, and a different vibe, but still great. Loads of different cultures blending, lots of great food (albeit $$$$ rather than $$ and $$$). Better conversation than most towns (if you avoid the lobbyists and career govt types who can be a bit narrow in terms of conversation topics).

But unlike the rest of the expanse between DC and NY, DC has a future. It's growing generally and has a vibrant tech sector running north toward Baltimore (unfortunately for Baltimore, not reaching anywhere near Baltimore). True, the reliance on govt narrows the focus, and everybody still talks about the beltway as an ozone layer outside of which nothing matters, but is that much worse than everybody talking about finance, or the most boring of all things - pharma? I'm as bored by lobbyists as the next guy, but they beat the "meds and eds" industry crowd you get in Philly and Baltimore. Please, tell me more about how the university is expanding, or about the grant financing for your hospital's new annex... riveting stuff.

Where you are now is of course better, but it's also the extreme outlier. You can't compare that area to any East Coast city (or any other city anywhere, really). You're very lucky, or very smart, or both. And yes, I'm jealous.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

where?

Nur-Sultan.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Adder

Let's remember what I actually said that started this:



You know, I almost buy that your problem is an inability to read what I actually write...

I'm going to be the big kid here and pass. I'm done. I'll engage TM on this subject in the future, but you and me? The conversation just becomes a chess match between dimwits. And I take blame for that as much as I blame you. The arguments between us are insipid.