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Friday, January 12, 2007

I Don't Get It

Some things I've been wondering about (I've turned on the comments function so that I can receive replies).


  1. Kill the Pig, Save the Spider
    The book, Charlotte's Web, has been getting a lot of press lately because of the movie. My question is: how come none of the humans in the novel figure out that it's the spider that's special, not the pig?

  2. Charitable Donations to Mark an Event
    Suppose that someone is retiring, and she asks that in lieu of gifts, donations be made to her favourite charity. Who is supposed to get the tax receipt: you or the person being honoured? I assume that the donor gets the receipt, but surely the honouree should get some benefit, aside from the acknowledgement.

  3. What's the Word?
    There must be a word for this feeling in some language - not quite "shame", not quite "schadenfreude". The only way I can describe it is by way of an anecdote.

    My spouse was mercilessly bullied in highschool by a popular fellow. A few years ago, the kids wanted to go into the Disney Store, where the spouse spotted his former bully, who was now a minimum-wage greeter. I thought the spouse would be amused to see the karmic fate of the bully, but instead, he was so ashamed on behalf of the guy, that he took a very circuitous route to the entrance in order to avoid being greeted by this fellow.

    What is the word for that feeling - being ashamed, except on behalf of someone else? Sort of a reverse schadenfreude.

posted by ax174 at 9:35 AM

6 Comments:

  • But it was more like - he couldn't hide the pity on his face and didn't want the fellow to see it, so that the guy could save face.

    By Blogger ax174, at 12:36 PM  

  • embarrassment?

    and i say the honouree gets the tax receipt because it's a donation in her name. it's like a small token of all the gifts she would have gotten instead.

    by the way i LOVE your felted shrimp sushi bag....LOVE IT!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:40 PM  

  • Thanks for your kind comment about the shrimp bag, elizabetha. BTW, I like your blog. I didn't realize that you're the designer of the domokun ipod holder - nice!

    By Blogger ax174, at 8:02 AM  

  • I've often wondered the same about the tax receipt, but never found out the answer. I agree with Elisabetha that the honouree should get the tax receipt.

    I also absolutely LOVE your shrimp bag, and I'm glad your comment box was open so I could tell you myself ;)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:15 AM  

  • Thanks, knit picking! I've added your blog to my daily reads. Funny - I read almost all of the same blogs you've listed on your web page, and the ones that I don't read, I just didn't know about... until now, so thanks again for the comment.

    By Blogger ax174, at 5:37 AM  

  • Apprecciate this blog post

    By Anonymous Tiffany Spencer, at 2:43 AM  

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