ntellectual snobbery, reunions, domestic deities, names,obsessions

[foxmoth at qnet.com]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Tabouli" <tabouli at u...> wrote:

> The answer, of course, is to be proud and unashamed in one's 
tastes, whatever they are.  I've never succeeded, but I've seen it 
done, and been incredibly impressed.
 
> Ick.  Though of course, if I were happy with myself and strong in 
my life choices such people wouldn't be able to make me feel 
threatened and defensive.  That's the theory, anyway.  O well, 
maybe inner peace will be mine by the 15 year reunion.

Try this...Mantra part one: Everyone's entitled to their opinion, 
including their opinion of you. No matter what you accomplish in 
life, some people are going to try to make you feel like a jerk. 
That's their problem. They aren't entitled to  try to make you feel 
bad about it. That's just rude. So don't argue, just smile 
politely...and realize that there's nothing like being polite to a 
rude person to make you feel superior.
Which leads to mantra part two:
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.

Repeat as needed. :)

> In closing, from acronyms to pseudonyms.  Those who use 
'em, how did you choose 'em??

Pippin stems from my teenage obsession with LOTR. A girl at 
summer camp, who was already calling herself Merry, started 
calling me that. Since my previous nickname was " Shrimp" I 
was very pleased. I use it with most of my friends, and some of 
my family, but since my father didn't like it, I ended up using my 
real name for business purposes. 
  Dad thought LOTR was just silly, except for Tom Bombadil and 
Treebeard. 

Books I've read till the pages fell out (not HP, I invested in 
hardcovers so they're still holding up):

Dune
Children of Dune
Dune Messiah
The Tolkien Reader
Star Wars (the novelization of  A New Hope)
LOTR (four sets!)
Peter Pan and Wendy
The Book of Kells (R.A. Macavoy)
Albion: A Guide to Legendary Britain

Pippin
C.A.T.F.A.M.I.L.I.A.R.
L.O.V.E.S.L.A.V.E