Enough already? was Back to the female dog

[Amanda Geist]

The curmudgeon:

> Well, personally, I disagree with Cindy.  I don't think we need a
> resident bitch.  I don't particularly appreciate the implicit
> association between "bitch" and "curmudgeon," either, but maybe I'm
> being over-sensitive.  But my longtime curmudgeonliness is just my
> trying to add amusing, well-deserved grumpiness to HPfGU, if that
> makes any sense.

(soothes) Of course it does.

To she who would be Resident Bitch--you may play with names (although I
suggest you desist, for you upset the one whose name I threaten my children
with, and she *is* correct in her fear of affecting the tone of the list).
You may posture and provoke. But do not presume.

List culture grows of itself. Titles are bestowed, and grow through a sense
of community. We love our grumps and gripers and strong, distinctive
personalities, but to a man they are simply adding an overtone to the
substance of their list presence. May we please interact more with your
substance than with your overtone?

I have a friend who is gay. And when she meets someone, or doesn't know you
well yet, she peppers her conversation with overt, in-your-face homosexual
references and comments. It's a test. Eventually, when someone has failed to
take the bait often enough, simply accepted her, clearly thinks of her as a
talented woman instead of a talented *gay* woman, she drops it and is just
herself.

So. Have we passed your test yet? For it is either that--an attempt to see
if we can look past the bitchy contrariness--or an effort to impress us with
how (pick your adjective) inflexible, deliberately misunderstood, isolated,
proud, difficult, etc., you are. Okay. We've shown we can discuss with you
and/or we're impressed. Can we stop now? Attitudes on this list are for
playing with -- in-jokes, the shorthand of a community -- not a means of
showing the size of the chip on your shoulder.

~Amandageist, who like Joywitch is not particularly a bitch, but who has a
great recipe for children on the half-shell