600 Joints a week?

[sara]

actually my post is making me laugh -- your should be you're -- "be hear" -- anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm an English teacher, oh the irony. I don't mind or fear being wrong, if that statement was for my benefit, maybe it wasn't, don't know. For your benefit I will explain that I have learned so much more from being wrong than right that I'm really pretty happy with it.

The one thing I fear a whole lot is hurting someone else.

[Laughing Armadillo]

I'm familiar with the human condition. That you would appear to have found your place within it is laudatory.

If you're looking for a good laugh, though, I'm fresh out of my ability to entertain.

Don't sell yourself short If this thread was an Aaron Spelling series, this would be the part where I clapped ever so slowwwly, oozing cynicism with a drawn out Braaahvo, at which point you would throw champagne in my face.

Smashing, Darling, and you know it.

*Emphasis on your. Some exceptions
may apply. This post makes no warranty,
expressed or implied, regarding actual outcomes.

[sara]

I'm just going to say that you are a funny person -- good for you. I have no desire for anyone to praise me for finding my place in the human race -- I do not do anything special; that's not my point, and I'm sure you're aware of it. I've been given enough praise in my life -- it is time for me to help others who deserve praise. That's my resolution.

There are problems here in my country and in my neck of the woods. I'm going to die one day, and I'm going to have live now with what I did or did not do about them -- that's it. I would never throw champagne into your face. I don't drink it. Maybe a beer (I'm kidding -- the thought of throwing anything at anyone is absurd to me) I don't live in a movie or a made for television special. I live in a place where there are a lot of hurt kids. And I guess I won't be talking about them anymore because lord knows their stories have been exploited enough -- I wouldn't want to use them to make a point, I may have been wrong if I did that. I do however want people to know that they exist, they are not voiceless, and they are important. They are my country, and there is nothing funny about it.

Maybe your humor is your solution, good luck with it.

[Laughing Armadillo]

Humor isn't a solution, but it is an effective coping strategy. You might consider getting one.

[Sloth]

Remember she's an English teacher.

[Sloth]

That's a fucked up story you told about the 14 year old Sara. That sort of stuff must happen every day in a country like this, where people routinely deny sexuality and praise ignorance of contraception.

However... I couldn't help thinking that my sister never once helped me get laid.

[Laughing Armadillo]

Remember she's an English teacher.

</slaps forehead>

[sara]

I wish, LA, that you would stop slapping your forehead, that brain of yours seems to be in pretty good shape. I'd hate for you to damage it before you get the chance to help my kids.

My coping strategy is, I don't know, getting up in the morning.

I guess talking (typing) here is a coping strategy -- I'm trying to work on my computer -- the program I need is not functioning properly, so I'm taking a break here today -- I heart coping.

smoking, coping strategy.

Music, coping strategy.

Laughter, coping strategy.

I don't laugh at others. I laugh at myself. I find humor at the expense of someone else to be revolting, not funny. Slap stick is pretty good though. LA, I did notice on another thread that you saw and liked American Splendor -- which was just such a nice illustration of how to cope by making fun of yourself. It was one of the best movies I saw last year too.

Anyway, I am glad you have a coping strategy. We all need them.

Sloth, yes the story was fucked up. It wasn't one hundred percent true either, I do remember I am an English teacher. It was sort of a compilation of a lot of the problems here, not on this site, in my country.

[Laughing Armadillo]

I'm fond of English, too.

I wish, LA, that you would stop slapping your forehead, that brain of yours seems to be in pretty good shape. I'd hate for you to damage it before you get the chance to help my kids.

Kind of you to say. Unfortunately, should I make it into that 3% of writers who actually get a book completed, I suspect it won't be found on school library shelves.

I don't laugh at others. I laugh at myself. I find humor at the expense of someone else to be revolting, not funny.

If you find humor at your own expense, why shouldn't others find humor at your expense, as well? Think of it as vindication for the self-aware.

Because I see myself in other people, I consider the distinction between self-deprecating humor and insult humor an artifical construct.

Slap stick is pretty good though.

The Three Stooges are timeless slapstick for me, but they're neck-in-neck with Lucille Ball .

LA, I did notice on another thread that you saw and liked American Splendor -- which was just such a nice illustration of how to cope by making fun of yourself. It was one of the best movies I saw last year too.

Not many people can pull off humorous self-deprecation as well as Harvey Pekar or (my favorite) Woody Allen, the pitfall being that, in the hands of mere mortals, it becomes a cruelly predictable routine of tired cliches. Is there anything more unfunny than a fat guy doing fat jokes? A homely person doing can't get a date jokes? There are exceptions; more often than not, the answer is no.

My humor lies at various points along the vast expanse separating Woody Allen and Bill Hicks. I'm quite fond of David Sedaris and Amy Sedaris, two people who evoke convulsive laughter whether making fun of themselves or other people or society at large. The comedy icons from my ancient childhood were Jonathan Winters, Carol Burnett, Phyllis Diller, Don Rickles, Stiller & Mira, the cast of Laugh-In. Later, Carlin and Pryor would leave a considerable impression on me. I loved Andy Kaufman from his first appearance on Saturday Night Live until he died.

Conversely, The Darwin Awards is a mean-spirited and small-minded affair. Not that the mean-spirited and small-minded don't weasel a place in my ouvre, although, in my defense, there's usually another component lurking beneath the amoral surface.

As evidenced by my Rumsfeld portrait, I also have a very macabre sense of humor, Death being one of my older companions. It's lost on most people, but it's fun for me.

[TragicPixie]

Sara - if it counts for anything I liked your story. And I don't think it's terribly funny (sorry if that's what you were going for).

I used to work in a free clinic here off Grand and Market St. (not a nicer area of the city but if you're in the business of fixing people up when they need help - and do it for free you've got business). I've seen similar situations all to often.

[sara]

Tragic, THANK YOU. You free clinic workers of the world are the best!!

LA, I laugh the hardest when David Sedaris is making fun of himself. (The teacher story in one of the books made me laugh so hard I thought I was going to piss) I would date David Sedaris if he wasn't gay and involved.

Bill Hicks I respect, but do not like. Wouldn't date him, especially since he's dead. Maybe you would -- morbidity and all. (and if I can use an artificial construct)

Your explanation of laughing at others is mind boggling -- I'll have to think about it -- it seems to be more than my brain can handle right now, but my mind has a deadline on it and shouldn't be here.

You are an interesting read; that is for sure.

[sara]

okay, this is better than cocaine, really.

I don't want to be vindicated; that makes me think of a really bad pop song.

Here's what I think:

I think I see what you're saying, if I am a human and would laugh at myself, and you are a human, and we are equals then why wouldn't I laugh at you as well? (Is that what you're saying? )

If that's what you're saying, then I think it goes back to the I don't know someone else thing. It might not hurt me, but I wouldn't assume that it wouldn't hurt you, unless you said it wouldn‘t, then I‘d know and make fun of you.

Deadline: one hour and nine minutes. I'm going to make it.

[Laughing Armadillo]

I don't want to be vindicated; that makes me think of a really bad pop song.

Vindication doesn't come from within, so whether or not you or anyone else wants it is irrelevant.

I think I see what you're saying, if I am a human and would laugh at myself, and you are a human, and we are equals then why wouldn't I laugh at you as well? (Is that what you're saying? )

Close enough, although if I was to rewrite your response to nail my intention, it would go like this: "I think I see what you're saying, if I am a human and would laugh at myself, and you are a human, and we are equals then why shouldn't you laugh at me as well?"

Much could be read into the equals qualification, but I'll let that stand. I'm human. You're human. The entities I converse with tend to be human. That's about all the equality I require. It's not a high threshold.

If that's what you're saying, then I think it goes back to the I don't know someone else thing.

This sounds presumptuous and arrogant and I could care less if it is because it's as solid a truth as any I know: The more one knows oneself, the more one knows everyone else.

It might not hurt me, but I wouldn't assume that it wouldn't hurt you, unless you said it wouldn‘t, then I‘d know and make fun of you.

By that arduous point, you've traded humor for a mutually agreed upon truism, a bland acknowledgment of one's nature. It's safe, though; I'll give you that.

As a general rule, I don't look for caution signs and red lights when it comes to interacting with others.

HURT is a prerequisite for personal growth, period. When I feel embarassed or wounded by the comments or actions of another, the first thing I do is ask WHY. Not "Why did Mrs. Kornblum say those awful things" but, rather, "Why do I feel so fucking small right now?" I don't expect others do the same - at least not consciously - but I don't beat myself up for offending someone's sensibilities. Nor do I rely on the perceptions of others to inform me when I've crossed the line into Cruel & Insensitive Territory; it's an intuitive thing I recognize instantly. It doesn't happen often, as I tend to choose my words carefully (too carefully, judging by the time it's taking me to write this post). There are times when my intention is to offend; my motivation for doing so may not be readily apparent.

It won't come as a surprise to anyone here that I'm an old thrasher/metalhead (albeit a picky one), and one monumental work that never goes outta style for me is Suicidal Tendencies, "Lights, Camera Revolution":

Before you go taking a walk in my world,
...you better take a look at the real world
Cause this aint no Mr. Rogers Neighborhood
Can you say "feel like shit?"
Yea maybe sometimes I do feel like shit
I aint happy about it, but I'd rather feel like shit
...than be full of shit!
And if I offended you, Oh I'm sorry
But maybe you needed to be offended
But here's my apology and one more thing...Fuck you!
Cause you can't bring me down
~
You Can't Bring Me Down

Everyone needs to be offended occasionally, and I'm happy to do my part on either end of the spectrum.

(P.S. I'm guessin' you made your deadline. Well done!)

[sara]

LA, you could not care less -- is the phrase.

Thanks about the deadline. I did make it. It was a rush (in every sense of the word). It was like ten minutes until midnight, will I make it, will I make it? YES!

Tragic,
I'm really glad you're here, and I would love to hear about the free clinic -- I'm betting you could tell some really good stories.

[TragicPixie]

aww thanks sara; I may write one up though it has more to do with a mix of others experiences and my own when I get out of this soul crushing depression

It should help that I'm gonna move within a week in with a friend (the only question is which friend)