SUBJECT: ESL BOARD EMBATTLEMENT (reprint)

Believe me, it's often a lot of fun to engage in board fisticuffs with some hard-headed, know-it-all S.O.B. who believes his defecation--both physical and verbal--is without offensive odor. But this type of warfare will occasionally go a bit too far and last much too long, thereby turning a cute bout into a genuine pain in the old gluteus maximus for those of us who look forward to varied board activity each day with great fervor.

Believe me, folks, I am usually one of the first to react to a truly idiotic statement (except, of course, for my own ... ahem!) seemingly designed to rile the hell out of its intended recipient(s)and anyone else who might be standing nearby. But when it becomes obvious that the antagonist has nothing specific in mind, that is, other than to create an aura of general discordance, then it's high time to disregard the source and swiftly move on to the next matter. By our boycotting anything past the original idiotic statement of such an unsavory individual, we help to restrict the board to only those matters that count, as opposed to highly insulting personal-attacks which, after all said and done, do little more than highlight ignorance and lack of creative imagination. Certainly, we, as English instructors, cannot afford to forget the true purpose of our participation in language programs: to spread only the BEST aspects of communication through the BEST of thoughts and techniques -- not only with our foreign students, but with our own misguided sort as well!

Sorry for the sermon, guys! It must be those years spent as an altar boy and our proximity to yet another Sunday! (Oy vay, Mara!)

Peace be unto y'all,

The Arrogant One