Haha Col.

'presents us, through their name, with a convenient reminder to wash up after a disembowelling. '
That's deliciously creepy! I've got tears in my eyes and workmates wondering what the hell I'm doing.

Hey have you seen/read American Psycho. My favourite bit was when he was getting really upset that the font on the other guys business card was better than his. That and when he recited the biography of Huey Lewis and Whitney Housten while preparing to wield a chainsaw.

Thanks for lightening up the thread.

I cant imagine you as a Goth growing up. I would imagine you a mod or a new romantic. All dapper and dandy.

Actually I decided the other day you are dead ringer for the Maurice Minnifield character in Northern Exposure

Antiseptic,

Your attitudes to counselling are quite unconventional. I think it's a matter of the age of the person and the quality of the counsellor. I really think you could benefit from some. Maybe psychiatry you'd have more respect for? Maybe OLO is your counsellor to deal with and direct your anger at from your ex.

Introspection on your own only goes so far without someone to call you on your own self defeating and self excusing bullsh!t. People can be too hard or too soft on themselves.

With your kids, you may not be able to help as much as you think. Kids don't often trust adults, I know I didn't. Probably why I hate suits! Enough revealed. But I really think you should keep an open mind.

'Adults get on with things, they don't obsess over their responses...'

A good motto is Think Less and Do More. It always seems to work for me. Stops you being too analytical and gets you out there.

Anyway, you shouldn't judge people unless you've been through what they have. Fraccy has had some bad times, and although I'm not sure the counselling has worked, at least she was brave enough to seek help. That's adult too, not self obsessed.

Dear Houellebecq,

I called you a 'wank -r,' because you were
behaving like one.

I wrote in my initial post unlike women, - some men tend
not to speak about their feelings - because they
do have other problems - which I also listed -
(as did you in your thread). I entered this discussion
in good faith, thinking you wanted to have a serious
discussion - and what did I get? Being labelled -
'sexist,' by you. That's not giving an opinion
- that's being a bully!(or as I said - for want of
a better word - a 'wank -r.') You can try to
excuse your behaviour - it doesn't change the
fact of what you did.

You seem to belong to that class of people who feel that
you have to take sides - men, or women.

I disapprove of that kind of thing. It's like
when you tell someone that you like Arabs,
some people immediately think you don't like Jews.
How did that little equation pop up?

Most of us prefer to avoid confrontation but the
truth is that some people are homophobic in the
worst imaginable sense. They even make pretentious
judgements about age, and the quality and style of clothing
that others wear!

Foxy

I have learned a lot here today:

1. If I behave like you I won't get called names (according to A-septic).

2. But Foxy, you do get labels for expressing your opinion.

3. I prefer to be myself, rather than copying others - besides I get to try on other personas with my acting, so I just revel in being myself here on OLO.

4. A-septic was trying to control me by blaming me for his insulting behaviour. Like I said, a bully.

My ex-husband was a bully. Not so long ago I discovered an old song from the 60's, I think, which summarises how I felt being treated as a possession/show pony. It is a terrific song, which I think was written way before Germaine Greer's Female Eunuch.

The song also summarises the views expressed here by such as Col, A-septic et al, who quite clearly are totally bummed they cannot control the female contributors to OLO.

And thank the Goddess for that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWCMhL5qxlE&NR=1

Wrong Foxy.

I said 'How Sexist' not 'You're sexist'. I commented on the quote. If you choose to take it personally so be it. I don't care if you call me a w@nker Foxy. Water off a ducks back really. I just like the police to be consistent as you know!

'You seem to belong to that class of people who feel that
you have to take sides - men, or women.'
Oh, 'those people'. They're terrible aren't they. Like the cheap suit wearers.

But, no. That's Fraccy. I'm not the one obsessed with the gender of the posters.

How did homophobic come into the equation?

'They even make pretentious
judgements about age, and the quality and style of clothing
that others wear!'
We all do Foxy. That's part of the point of the post, which only Robert and pelican looked like exploring. I work on many layers you know. Pretentious? Maybe, but I put some thought into this topic. I think it's been entertaining too.

It's getting quite dramatic now too! It's like a party when people have had a few too many drinks and the girls are in a circle crying about something or other. All that's missing is a few fist fights from the guys now.

I used to like you Foxy but you're starting to sound like a sour old cow.

Although I'm interested that in the first reply to my post you re-explained yourself (not necessary, as I never said you were sexist, and it was a throwaway comment anyway) and ended with 'take care'. Then Fractelle gets her knickers in a twist and you decide some solidarity is needed so you then call me a w@nker. It is a womans prerogative to change her mind I suppose:-)

Ah, its a funny world.

'summarises how I felt being treated as a possession/show pony'
Ah! So that's why you clash with Col so much!

Dear Houellebecq,

Was the sentence - "sour old cow?" a throw-away line
as well? Let me set the record straight - I'm far
too positive in my outlook, far too young, and far
too good-looking to fit that description. Try again!

However, on second thought - your attitude reminds
me of a story ...

It's - "Grunter the story of a pig with Attitude!"

"There once was a small green farm, with a LARGE
pink problem. Grunter was the problem. He was
called Grunter because that's what he does!
(grunt grunt).

He HATES everything... and everyone.
He is overfed... and overweight.
He is mad, bad, ANGRY and sad.
(and dangerous to know on days with a 'd' in).

HE has SERIOUS attitude...
and SHOCKING wind!

Yesterday he flattened the farmer,
spat on the cat,
DUNKED the dog,
CATAPULTED the cow
and MASHED three short-sighted mice into the mud.

The day before, he bit the possum,
grabbed the goat and
CHOKED the chicks with one of his outbursts.

He ran AMOK in the MUCK,
sat on the sheep,
and dropped something DIRTY on the duck!

The other animals thought that he was TOO BIG
for his trotters.
(mutter mutter mumble grumble).

The other animals THOUGHT
that he should be taught a lesson.

Then came Grunter's birthday
and he was ALL ALONE!

NO-ONE remembered...

OR HAVE THEY?...

When Grunter tried to blow out the candles
on his Birthday cake - there was a loud
explosion -

B $#$#$# O O $#$#$ M!

Grunter became the pig that WAS the problem
on the small green farm.

He was last seen hurtling towards outer space."

The story is Mike Jolley's and Deborah Allwright's.
It's meant to teach children "how not to treat your
fellow man, or pig!"

Enjoy your gruntlement!

“No, I don't like Fractelle because she has no capacity to argue for what she "believes" and seeks always to portray herself as a victim as soon as anyone challenges her. IOW, I think she's weak-minded and dishonest in her discussion methods as well as self-obsessed.”

Thank you for your response dear heart… pfft – nup I can’t sustain it… Could have been funny but at this end of the wire I got the giggles.

I never saw that in Fractelle but we haven’t argued (sorry for discussing you by the way Fractelle, it’s a bit weird). Probably because except for a brief debate about cavemen and astronauts that got swallowed by the godsquad we haven’t had anything to argue about. What is IOW?

“If she was a bloke I'd call her gutless.”

You sexist pig. I know, water off a ducks back and all. How can anyone be gutless in typing or scared of a typed back response? You should immediately get over yourself. Col is the only one here that occasionally gives me a sharp stabbing pain between the eyes as I reach for my dictionary.

“I'd counsel him or her, not send them off for years of narcissistic, no-end-in-sight navel-gazing directed by some dimwit who wasn't bright enough to do a real course of study so chose "social work".

You are talking through your smelly tube there baby. Do you have a black singlet?

“Adults get on with things, they don't obsess over their responses to those things simply because someone who's being paid is prepared to sit down and listen to them drone on interminably.”

Un huh, you are being silly. We all know sometimes adults need help.

I’m guessing your average counselor would kind of have an attitude where they are actually quite interested in other humans and how they feel.

But it isn’t something I know about, I know there are different kinds of counseling or treatment and that’s about the extent of my knowledge.

Shuddup Pelican you tosser... oh god, apologies... why on earth can't I go out of character even for fun?