Making Peace with Australia

it was a joke! really!

Published on June 29, 2004 By Gene Nash In Humor

I am very pleased to get along so well with the many Australians we have here on JU. I'm so glad they were able to put that horrible incident of the early 90's behind them and move on.

In 1994, shortly after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook nearby Northridge California killing 61 people, I logged on to a bulletin board system (BBS) located in Beverly Hills. The BBS served as the distribution point and information source for a certain Macintosh BBS program and had users from all over the world. As soon as I entered, someone messaged me.

Aussie: Hello! Australia here! Watching Baywatch right now. How are you?
Me: Okay, I guess. Still recovering from the earthquake.
Aussie: Oh, I heard about that. I hope everything is all right.
Me: It could be worse -- I could be watching Baywatch.
(momentary silence)
Aussie: I have to go.

He immediately logged off the system, never to be seen again. Great, I thought, I've alienated another continent. Here the poor guy is trying to be friendly, make a connection, he's talking to an American from California so what can he bring up? Baywatch! And I squished him like a bug.

So, again, to JU's thriving Aussie population, I just want to say thank you for forgiving me. I'm so glad the peace treaty was finally signed.

Comments

Muggaz

on Jun 29, 2004

- maybe he was just telling you what he was doin, and not necessarily just mentioning it because you were in California?

Who knows? You Californians are ok by me... I watched O.C tonight!

*chuckle*

BAM!!!

mignuna

on Jun 29, 2004

"Me: It could be worse -- I could be watching Baywatch ... (momentary silence) ... Aussie: I have to go."

we australians can tend to be a rather literal bunch, gene.

i assume from the above exchange that the aussie misread your (rather stylish) wit and assumed that you genuinely found it more tragic to be watching baywatch than to be experiencing an earthquake.

whilst i happen to agree with you, i can understand how some people (in particular those who watch "drama" on television) may not.

you have committed no transgression against australia, gene, my lovely. you may cease to furrow your brow with worry on our behalf. welcome back

mig XXX

notsohighlyevolved

on Jun 29, 2004

i assume from the above exchange that the aussie misread your (rather stylish) wit and assumed that you genuinely found it more tragic to be watching baywatch than to be experiencing an earthquake.

Isn't it?

Marco

Kayles

on Jun 29, 2004

Reply #3 By: notsohighlyevolved - 6/29/2004 10:28:59 AM
i assume from the above exchange that the aussie misread your (rather stylish) wit and assumed that you genuinely found it more tragic to be watching baywatch than to be experiencing an earthquake.

Isn't it?

No, that's listening to David Hasselhoff's music!

notsohighlyevolved

on Jun 29, 2004

I concede. Good point!

Marco

mignuna

on Jun 29, 2004

i assume from the above exchange that the aussie misread your (rather stylish) wit and assumed that you genuinely found it more tragic to be watching baywatch than to be experiencing an earthquake... whilst i happen to agree with you,

blah on you, marco. you should have known better

mig XX

Gideon MacLeish

on Jun 30, 2004

C'mon, people, "Baywatch" had a few redeeming qualities. In fact, I'm willing to bet that if they released a DVD set of Baywatch edited to exclude all David Hasselhoff scenes, most of the guys out here would run out and buy it.

Although, one thing I never understood about the show. Drowning takes only a few minutes. It took those female lifeguards about half an hour to run across the beach (they were slower than Lindsay Wagner; bionic my ASS).

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