Michael Jackson is screwin up my news

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by painter

I kinda fall somewhere in between your remark Sandy. I am woman! But don't roar LMAO.

Purr maybe?

[merrylander]

This all started back in childhood - you mentioned nature and nurture - my parents let me have the run of the family library such as it was. They figured that if the book was too advanced I would simply put it back. When I outgrew the town schoolhouse I had to commute by train to another high school.

Dad had retired (I was the youngest and they married late in life) so I could not see the expense of train fare and school fees, so I quit. After a few jobs I wound up with Bell. Spent 13 years in toll and local plant, then I heard they were looking for computer geeks. Borrowed some books on computers from the company library and read up on them. Now these were the days of the big room filling Univacs and IBM 1410s, the IBM360 was just around the corner. Iknew there were such things but that was about it.

I asked my boss to send me in for the computer test, now they said they wanted people with a degree or who were working toward one, but he sent me anyway. Two weeks later they requested me and my boss let me go even though I was slated to do the acceptance tests on a new switch system.

Through various training courses the all kept saying fancy things about me until they finally convinced me to do the Mensa test. That was when the numbers put me just over the edge into the 99th percentile. Whoopee s**t, that and $5 will get you a latte at Starbucks.

Never put that on my resume as I found people did not think highly of it, I did get elected to full membership in the IEEE despite the lack of a degree, they even suggested I apply for senior membership (must have been the grey hair).

The 12 years I spent working on International Standards with ITU and ISO did get me a decent living doing seminars around NorAm and Europe, even got to Israel once. The Europeans have a different attitude as they always asked if I was bringing my wife along so we did quite a bit of travelling together, in fact I think Florence knows Geneva better than I do. Speaking several languages as she does she was never taken for an American, and a lot of people figured she was either from Spain or Italy (parents were both) and me for some Nordic type. I recall one Swiss that we met who claimed he knew all about the United States as he subscribed to Time, was awful hard to keep a straight face.

Sandy, the in-your-face feminists never thrilled me either, I simply figure that as half the population is female you would be shooting yourself in the foot if you did not let them contribute their considerable talents to the nation. You and I happen to be married to ladies of talent so we know this.

Geez, who got me started on this?

[Sandy G]

A confident, mature-in mind, anyway-woman never has to raise her voice & bleat 'n' blather about her accomplishments-They will speak for themselves. You & I just happen to be EXTREMELY lucky that we're married to such women..."Feminazis" remind me a lot of "Nuveau Riche'" types-they know the price of EVERYTHING, but the value of NOTHING.

[Sandy G]

Guess I shoulda said SOME "women's libber types, etc"...My bad for paintin' w/too broad a brush...And I never got over bein' a Naughty Little Boy who Pokes Sticks at Wasper Nests...Yeah, some times you're gonna get stung-Part of it...But NO offence was meant or implied...If you all could ever see me spewin' out these diatribes, you'd see a twinkle in my eye, & a grin on my face, & a "Wink, wink, Nudge, nudge" intent in my heart...

[painter]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

Guess I shoulda said SOME "women's libber types, etc"...My bad for paintin' w/too broad a brush...And I never got over bein' a Naughty Little Boy who Pokes Sticks at Wasper Nests...Yeah, some times you're gonna get stung-Part of it...But NO offence was meant or implied...If you all could ever see me spewin' out these diatribes, you'd see a twinkle in my eye, & a grin on my face, & a "Wink, wink, Nudge, nudge" intent in my heart...

No offense taken. Your sense of humor offsets any mistaken remarks.

[Sandy G]

Yeah, my Snarky Sense of Humor generally requires that you have an IQ greater than that of a Toaster or other Household Appliance to really "Get it" -But I don't think we have that problem, as I think that we're all pretty much Smarter Than the Average Bear here. Oh, and by the bye, y'all DO know Michael Jackson-a rather obscure, somewhat washed-up popular music singer of questionable morals- died last week. Just thought I'd let y'all know, as a Public Service 'n' all....Just in case you hadn't heard, & nobody had told you...

[merrylander]

No! I hadn't heard.

[Sandy G]

I DO feel sorry for his kids-If they somehow manage to grow up & be anything close to normal, & not denizens of some expensive Farm De Funne', it'll be a miracle...

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

I DO feel sorry for his kids-If they somehow manage to grow up & be anything close to normal, & not denizens of some expensive Farm De Funne', it'll be a miracle...

Should his kids turn out anywhere close to normal, it will stand as a testament to THEIR character, and no one else. IMHO, they have the deck stacked against them.

And let's not forget the old saying, "The nut doesn't fall too far from the tree."

Chas

[Sandy G]

Despite all else, I always kinda felt a LITTLE bit sad for MJ-I got the feeling the guy had NO real friends, nobody he could just "pal" around with, & be himself. He had no childhood, he'd been in the public eye virtually all his life. Y'all KNOW that I'm crazier than a Shithouse Rat, but at least I know it...But I've always had good parents & good friends who have kept me at least somewhat grounded in reality...MJ apparently had neither. I'm NOT trying to excuse anything he did, you understand, just maybe offer an explanation, in as much as there CAN be for the trainwreck he became..