L Roebuck
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Posts: 2,023
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 9, 2005 9:09:18 GMT -5
Speleopoliticians around the world seem to use many specific terms and words. So I thought it would be a bit of fun to see how many cavers have noticed words or terms that are commonly used by Speleopoliticians such as "Knee Jerk Response", "Not having the power", "So ego's don't get in the way", , etc, etc, etc,
Ever notice any?
;D Humor Disclaimer: ;D Humor Disclaimer: Not for the humor impaired! Intended solely for entertainment purposes; any resemblance to organizations, persons, groups, etc is purely coincidental; If you are easily offended by speleosatire or any other forms of speleocomedy or speleohumor or have no sense of humor, STOP HERE - DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER – EXIT THIS THREAD NOW! Material © by individual authors and or contributors.
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Kelly
Beginner
Posts: 129
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Post by Kelly on Sept 9, 2005 9:39:07 GMT -5
Rumor mill - the politicians did not tell you what was going on, so the message went through the rumor mill Peanut Gallery - the little guys that gripe and complain, but don't really understand anything because they are not allowed to participate with those in the know. Volunteers - expendable people who should kiss the feet of the management else face firing. Caver family - people who always agree with managements opinions. Controversy - what happens when the management does something stupid. Employee - low-paid over-worked personnel subject to firing when personal performance reviews are illegally spread through the Rumor Mill by Volunteers and other Employees. Employee Handbook - a non- existent document that everyone knows exists, but no one can produce.
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Post by madratdan on Sept 9, 2005 9:55:49 GMT -5
What a great topic Lynn. You ladies are cracking me up. We need to put together a brochure of these terms for distribution to the peanut gallery. STFU = A polite way to tell volunteers to be quite. (A tern I'd never use on an employee or friend )
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 9, 2005 11:07:07 GMT -5
Dan, I'm just in need of a bit of fun. ;D Pretzlgirl lost her groove and it needs restored! Good one's Kelly! Wow, I didn't think about defining the terms. I'll have a go at it. Knee Jerk Response - indicates a hasty response. The term is derived from the reaction of the knee reflex when tapped by a hammer. Example, a dictator's knee-jerk response to a vocal membership is to suppress it. Not having the power - peon; peanut gallery; not one of the hierarchy. So ego's don't get in the way - seems to be used to blow off a current situation and attempt to avert blame on peons. Also may be it is the policing factor of what the hierarchy deems unacceptable. [ ;D Good thing I just have an Alter Ego, eah? ] Volunteer - peon Peon - [pee on] needs no explanation Starting from scratch - wiping out current volunteers and peons to replace them with a new set of volunteers and peons New Direction - term used to totally wipe out what the hierarchy does not deem acceptable and replace it with something they do deem acceptable. Ad hock committee - term seems to be derived from "hock a lugie"
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Post by madratdan on Sept 9, 2005 11:21:11 GMT -5
I'm printing this one and taking it to the party with me. I'll see how many more terms the Rats can come up with. Hang in there Lynn. There is a glimmer of hope out there. Phil Winkler and Barbara have both signed up to be moderators. Thanks you two for stepping up to the plate. Your presence as mods is both needed and appreciated from this member of the peanut gallery.
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Kelly
Beginner
Posts: 129
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Post by Kelly on Sept 9, 2005 11:24:49 GMT -5
;D Good ones Lynn!
Policy - undocumented rules that change to suite the management at the time. Membership - 1. a dirty word to polititians because Membership is always trying to get them to explain their actions. 2. a polite term for the Peanut Gallery. "Those who are not Volunteers do not have the right to an opinion" - a better way to tell the Peanut Gallery to STFU.
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 9, 2005 11:32:07 GMT -5
Thanks Dan! I bet the Madrats can add some good ones! I will also print and take this with me to Southport's 10th Anniversary this weekend. A weekend of caving, camping and fun is just what I need. Wait I bet my groove may be in a cave? Hey Dan, if you dn't mind please ask the Madrats to recommend ways for Pretzlgirl to get her groove back. Pretzlgirl lost her groove... I see Kelly has noticed many speleopolitical terms too. Good one's Kelly!
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 9, 2005 12:25:56 GMT -5
Speleopolitician - an individual involved in speleological politics to the extent of volunteering to serve (no pay) the members of an organized speleo office position.
Humm... perhaps someone could offer a better definition of a speleopolitician?
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Kelly
Beginner
Posts: 129
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Post by Kelly on Sept 9, 2005 12:43:18 GMT -5
How about:
Speleopolitician - 1. a term used to describe cavers who are in or who are seeking a political office within the ***. 2. cavers who care more about *** operations than caving. 3. *** guv'ment peoples.
Then we would have to define Political Office:
Political Office - 1. a position within the *** where Speleopoliticians are in charge of Volunteers. Duties include praise, intimidation, hiring your friends, firing your enemys. 2. a special place for *** guv'ment Volunteers where he/she gets to be right all the time just because they 'said so'. ;D
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 9, 2005 12:46:09 GMT -5
Thanks much better Kelly! I knew I just wasn't quite reaching the essence.....
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Post by Sharon Faulkner on Sept 9, 2005 16:43:12 GMT -5
Oh geez...how funny! This is good stuff. Sorry for coming in late to the party. ;D
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 9, 2005 17:31:32 GMT -5
The speleopolitician terms that stick out are interesting, eah?
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Kelly
Beginner
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Post by Kelly on Sept 11, 2005 18:20:29 GMT -5
Ha! I just read your's jennifer. Those are hilarious!! I like the communication one especially!
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Post by madratdan on Sept 12, 2005 10:28:06 GMT -5
Well, the only new term I heard at the rat party had nothing to do with politics.
Fraziered in = Burying yourself in your own dig spoiles.
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 12, 2005 12:15:14 GMT -5
The Southport weekend was a great time! It was such a good time that (thank goodness) that I completely forgot speleopolitics. Hey, I even found my groove again! ;D Here's one.... Thick Skin - speleopolititians grow this imaginary reptile like thick skin which is suppose to help enable them to better deal with the membership's questions and also to deal with the cavers they may have offended.
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 12, 2005 14:22:06 GMT -5
Another phrase just popped in…
"It's not personal it's just business" Does this one really need to be defined?
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Kelly
Beginner
Posts: 129
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Post by Kelly on Sept 13, 2005 6:20:34 GMT -5
Thick skin! Lynn I almost fell out of my chair!
"Its not personal its just business" - 1. It IS personal, and I will do anything to make your volunteer work as miserable as possible until I get the desired result - you quit! 2. It IS personal, I'M the one with the power and will prove it to you by doing this, just to p.. you off.
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L Roebuck
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 13, 2005 9:29:11 GMT -5
Have you not heard any of the speleopolitician climbers mention that to be in Speleopolitics you have to develop a Thick Skin? The visual I had when I first heard this mentioned was that of an Armadillo. ;D
"It's not personal it's just business" - phrase used just before someone is going to get really personal.
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L Roebuck
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^V^ Just a caver
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 13, 2005 9:36:26 GMT -5
Oh here's 2 terms commonly used.
Politically Correct - no reference to reality.
Politically Incorrect - reality
;D
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Post by Azurerana on Sept 13, 2005 20:34:02 GMT -5
Speleopolitical Dictionary
Ambrosia Bierce
Work Trip: Only opportunity for non-speleopols to see really neat caves by sweating usually doing manual labor for the one time privilege, and under the lashing whips of the Speleopolitiican.
Team Player: Person who enjoys boot-kissing, and whose brain ceased independent thought several weeks after birth.
Endangered Species: 1) Small cave creature whose existence is threatened by humans unless those humans have Ph.D.s after their names, or are Speleopoliticians. 2)any caver whose view of cave management lies in the middle of the preservationist-exploiter spectrum.
On Rope: A short leash where master speleopoliticians try to keep the unwashed muddy masses.
Concensus: What the Speleopolitician says.
Surveyor: 1)cartographic professional. 2)Any caver with a compass, clino, tape, pencil and book wishing to enter a closed cave.
Conservation trip: Cave trip organized by geo/bio preservationists, with the goal of destroying the record of the human use of the cave, much to the chagrin of Speleopolitician, who wrote his name on the wall in 1960-something, and now claims it is historical.
Cave photographer: See surveyor definition 2, except the person has a Wal-Mart disposable point and shoot, since he/she cannot afford compass, clino and tape.
Cave sherpa: Deluded individual who truly believes it is an honor to haul dive/photo/restoration gear (or just an ammo box of rocks) for a Speleopolitician.
Professional Caver: Speleopolitician with the gift of gab. Often stepping stone training to becoming an alderman, state legislator or state or federal natural resources bureaucrat.
Volunteer: 1)The reason Tennessee has so many caves. 2)Caver who starts out as an altruist to 'give something back', proceeds to be a realist as he/she realizes there are no rewards, either financial or psychological from the activity, and ends up either a burnt out cynic or a Speleopolitician.
Director: Note the embedding of the word "dire" in this term.
Acronym: NSS, TAG, MVOR, ISS, etc. A collection of nonsense letters sometimes pronounced as a word and used to mask the fact that only a Speleopolitician can correctly spell speleology, speleologist, etc.
Speleopolitician: Acronym combining the words 'Spell','leopol(d) as in Aldo, and politician, which is another name for an elected or appointed scapegoat for the people. A Speleopolitician attempts to combine intelligence, an interest in environmental conservation, and his/her own self interest in order to effect change on the planet and amongst his/her peers. As one might suspect, such a portmanteau agglomeration results in a creature no longer human, with noises coming from its head, which, in the words of Shakespeare, constitute a "tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, and signifying nothing".
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L Roebuck
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Caving
^V^ Just a caver
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Post by L Roebuck on Sept 14, 2005 7:24:03 GMT -5
Hey thanks Azurerana. The Speleopolitician phrases and terms list really grew a lot!
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Post by Sharon Faulkner on Sept 14, 2005 8:14:16 GMT -5
This has been a hilarious thread! Humor is the best medicine for what may ail a person. I think everyone is getting their groove back. ;D
Has anyone posted a definition for "We've decided to go in a new direction?"
It's going to be hard to top the "It's not personal, it's just business"....one of my personal favorites to date. ;D
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