Internet Humanitarian Humor Award (was ethics and the picture)

[john wells]

Ow! You "got me" Dougie! Now we see the real you.

But really, the only thing I want to know is; Is there any money with
this award?

Anxiously awaiting my check!
John. 

> P-LIST PARTICIPANT WINS INTERNET HUMANITARIAN HUMOR AWARD
> 
> BERKELEY - John Wells has won the Internet Humanitarian Humor Award.
> 
> "This award recognizes Wells' ability to use Internet e-mail to affirm the
> fundamental humanity  of his fellow Pynchon-l participants through
> insightful and timely online comments, in an especially funny way," said
> the citation from Berkeley, California-based SISSY (Society for Internet
> Surrealism, Sentimentality, and Yelling).
> 
> "We've read thousands of Internet mailing list and newsgroup postings over
> the past decade, and I can truly say that Mr. Wells' recent P-list post
> (included below) stands heads and shoulders above the crowd," said SISSY
> president, Ima Pald.  "We were especially touched by the time and effort
> Mr. Wells spent in looking up in the dictionary the words that his P-list
> interlocutor apparently didn't understand, and we applaud the extra effort
> he made to point out, in a humorous way, how his fellow P-lister could
> improve his attitude."
> 
> "I was especially grateful for Mr. Wells' suggestion that I open my own
> dictionary," said Doug Millison, the object of Wells' award-winning post.
> "It gave me a chance to reflect on the mix of humors -- blood, choler,
> phlegm, or melancholy -- that might account for the apparent emotional
> affect of his message to me."
> 
> SISSY instituted the IHH Award earlier this year to encourage Internet
> users to look beyond the apparent insensitivity, small-mindedness, and
> malice of many Internet email messages to uncover their fundamental,
> life-affirming truths.
> 
> At 12:49 PM 6/22/97, john wells wrote:
> >Doug Millison wrote:
> >>
> >> You missed the point, John. I asked, not for the definition of "sissy", but
> >> instead for you to explain how we're all "sissies", and what it means for
> >> you to call us that.
> >
> >Now Doug, I didn't miss the point at all, YOU missed the point and I
> >suggest you re-read the paragraph FOLLOWING the second definition. It's
> >pretty self-explanatory and after that, I suggest you look up "humour,"
> >as in sense of...
> >
> >> You persist in name-calling, so be it.
> >
> >Oh, boo hoo hoo! If you must, you can, of course, use a box of kleenex
> >while you while you struggle to define my meaning with your dictionary,
> >if you have one.
> >>
> >> Congratulating you on your dictionary skills,
> >
> >You ought to try it, you'll be amazed at the things you'll discover.
> >
> >Honestly, Doug, I've worked in newspapers all my life and if you want to
> >present yourself as an "online-journalist" you should light-up at least
> >a little. No journalist I've ever met is so thin-skinned. Oh, they are
> >thin skinned about some things, such as the revelation that they may be
> >seen by outsiders as snobs or elitists (which many outsiders see them
> >as) or that they MAY be bigoted, in anyway about anything, but to call
> >them "sissies" well, big whoop, even they can handle that accusation, a
> >real journalist gets much worse almost daily (if he reads his mail).
> >
> >Now re-read that paragraph, following the definitions (below) and if you
> >have any trouble keep your dictionary ready. English isn't your second
> >language is it?
> >If it is, I must commend your obvious skills in writing me, but I can't
> >figure out why you cannot understand that paragraph.
> >
> >John
> >
> >>
> >> At 12:45 AM 6/22/97, john wells wrote:
> >> >Doug Millison wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> I'm sure that's one way to put it. I think I get the "hand-wringing" part,
> >> >> but perhaps John would explain how we're all "sissies", and what that
> >> >> means.
> >> >
> >> >Doug,
> >> >
> >> >You're writing from "online-JOURNALIST.com" and you don't know what
> >> >sissy means? I thought journalists kept dictionaries handy. However,
> >> >since you seem to be without your tools:
> >> >
> >> >"sis-sy... n. pl.-sies U.S. Informal... 2. A coward or weakling.
> >> >--sis'sy-ish adj.*
> >> >   *(Funk & Wagnalls STANDARD ENCYCLOPEDIC DICTIONARY, JG Ferguson Pub.
> >> >Co. Chicago
> >> >    copyright 1975, by Funk & Wagnalls Pub. Co. Inc. page 628, col.1,
> >> >14th definition.)
> >> >
> >> >ALSO:
> >> >
> >> >"coward...n... Sl.(slang) weak sister; sissy, etc..."*
> >> >   *(THE SYNONYM FINDER, by J.I. Rodale, pub. by Warner Books, A
> >> >Warner           Communications Co., Warner Books Edition, copyright
> >> >1978 by Rodale Press, Inc.
> >> >     page 239, col. 1, 6th definition.)
> >> >
> >> >So, there you have it. I meant "sissy" in the cowardly sense, a minor
> >> >cowardice to be sure, but to have all this hand-wringing over posting a
> >> >photo already published, well, PLEASE... lighten up.
> >> >
> >> >Since you are writing from "online-journalist.com" you should really
> >> >keep a good dictionary handy, almost any good sized one will do, but I
> >> >highly recommend "The Synonym Finder by Rodale, that's a really useful
> >> >reference book, it's easier to use than a Thesaurus and it's cheaper
> >> >than a dictionary.
> >> >
> >> >Sincerely,
> >> >
> >> >John
> >> >Dandelion Press
> >> >The Weed in the Words:-)
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> Knowing that Pynchon objects to being photographed, do we honor the
> >>wish of
> >> >> the artist we admire by refraining from disseminating the picture? I can
> >> >> understand how stopping to ponder the ethical dimension of an action
> >>can be
> >> >> frustrating to those who'd rather rush ahead, stop all that
> >>"hand-wringing"
> >> >> and take action, but our discussion remains valuable all the same.
> >> >>
> >> >> I'm confident that we'll have a chance to see the picture, as it's sure to
> >> >> be reprinted in the U.S. press sooner rather than later, but that does not
> >> >> render moot the ethical considerations. If that makes me a "sissy" so be
> >> >> it.
> >> >>
> >> >> Cordially,
> >> >> Doug
> >> >>
> >> >> At 1:40 PM 6/21/97, john wells wrote:
> >> >> >Geez. What a bunch of hand-wringing sissies.
> >> >>
> 
> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> D O U G  M I L L I S O N----->millison at online-journalist.com