1950  How the list is supposed to be. No tango.

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 02:28:42 -0500
From: Dirk J Bakker <dbakker@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: How the list is supposed to be. No tango.

Sergio wrote:

>This is amusing and shows how this list works
>

But instead:

1. Members are supposed to be the malleable audience to any and all the
attempts on the part of Sergio at

a. sophistry;

"This [sic] paragraphs are confusing and dark. This is a characteristic of Baroque
writers.
They compose in a convoluted way, it is necessary to be conversant with
Spanish/Portuguese Literature of the Middle Ages to understand the meaning."

Which, of course only he is, therefore you must listen, hush
and take notes. Yes, but never mind
that what actually happened was that he misread a simple
reference to the word Babelfish. So to
add insult to injury, we are treated to a retelling on the
Biblical story of the tower of Babel, as nobody
knows that either.

b. languages, as his should be the only perspective worthy of being
considered since he travels in the
very best of circles. After all as he put it

"He attempted to keep the discussion going in Castilian, it was impossible to
understand a word, his Spanish is that bad!"


Never mind that inspite of my dutch surname (and I make no
apology for that), I was born in
Bogota, Colombia and Spanish is my mother tongue. Also never
mind that it was Mr. Terbalca
(as well as other list members) that requested that we
continue the discussion in Spanish.
And never mind that he never addressed himself to this insult
but only to the use of "stupid" twice.
So much for this last "Apologia" (yet another example).

c. travels.
Yes, Sergio's experience in at least 45 trips (which he never
fails to remind the list of) nullifies
any meager few of any other members here.

d. Humor. (No comment is to be made as Sergio is always serious and
respectful of others, see above)

e. Elitism. In a supposedly forward thinking society and in a new
century, it is embarrassing the
number of times that reference is made to illiterates and
otherwise people of humbler origin in but
a condescending way. Whether their slang, lunfardo or
indigenous language is not the "purest" to
be called "Castilian". Every human being has a God given right
to be a part of society and not to be
made to feel their experience does not count.
Does being a Doctor, next to the Pope in infallibility, give
him that right? I don't think so.

He has every right to criticize any and all contribution, whether it
makes sense or not, but lacks the intellectual backbone to accept the
same when it comes to his own missteps. Nor does he acknowledge the
contribution in the spirit they are made, nor is he grateful for being
corrected.

And this coming from only two people! or perhaps does he not share with
us mails he might be receiving privately?

I only know of the ones I have received:

"Thanks for setting him straight. He thinks he owns the lists sometimes
& knows everthing. Course people like that have huge blind spots, blah...."

Therefore, in character fitting the melodrama he concludes:

> I quit!
>

I think Sergio makes very valuable comments, and it would be disingenous
of me not to both thank him and acknowledge some of them. But enough is
enough. This is not a place where it is okay to belittle anyone in the
name of sharing "culture"!

Dirk

Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2003 03:35:20 -0500
From: Dirk J Bakker <dbakker@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: How the list is supposed to be. No tango.

Sergio wrote:

>This is amusing and shows how this list works
>

But instead:

1. Members are supposed to be the malleable audience to any and all the
attempts on the part of Sergio at

a. sophistry;

"This [sic] paragraphs are confusing and dark. This is a characteristic of Baroque
writers.
They compose in a convoluted way, it is necessary to be conversant with
Spanish/Portuguese Literature of the Middle Ages to understand the meaning."

Which, of course only he is, therefore you must listen, hush
and take notes. Yes, but never mind
that what actually happened was that he misread a simple
reference to the word Babelfish. So to
add insult to injury, we are treated to a retelling on the
Biblical story of the tower of Babel, as nobody
knows that either.

b. languages, as his should be the only perspective worthy of being
considered since he travels in the
very best of circles. After all as he put it

"He attempted to keep the discussion going in Castilian, it was impossible to
understand a word, his Spanish is that bad!"


Never mind that inspite of my dutch surname (and I make no
apology for that), I was born in
Bogota, Colombia and Spanish is my mother tongue. Also never
mind that it was Mr. Terbalca
(as well as other list members) that requested that we
continue the discussion in Spanish.
And never mind that he never addressed himself to this insult
but only to the use of "stupid" twice.
So much for this last "Apologia" (yet another example).

c. travels.
Yes, Sergio's experience in at least 45 trips (which he never
fails to remind the list of) nullifies
any meager few of any other members here.

d. Humor. (No comment is to be made as Sergio is always serious and
respectful of others, see above)

e. Elitism. In a supposedly forward thinking society and in a new
century, it is embarrassing the
number of times that reference is made to illiterates and
otherwise people of humbler origin in but
a condescending way. Whether their slang, lunfardo or
indigenous language is not the "purest" to
be called "Castilian". Every human being has a God given right
to be a part of society and not to be
made to feel their experience does not count.
Does being a Doctor, next to the Pope in infallibility, give
him that right? I don't think so.

He has every right to criticize any and all contribution, whether it
makes sense or not, but lacks the intellectual backbone to accept the
same when it comes to his own missteps. Nor does he acknowledge the
contribution in the spirit they are made, nor is he grateful for being
corrected.

And this coming from only two people! or perhaps does he not share with
us mails he might be receiving privately?

I only know of the ones I have received:

"Thanks for setting him straight. He thinks he owns the lists sometimes
& knows everthing. Course people like that have huge blind spots, blah...."

Therefore, in character befitting the melodrama he concludes:

> I quit!
>

I think Sergio makes very valuable comments, and it would be disingenous
of me not to both thank him and acknowledge some of them. But enough is
enough. This is not a place where it is okay to belittle anyone in the
name of sharing "culture"!

Dirk