🏀 KuBuckets Archive

I grinned when I read the following:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2849409-ncaa-amends-agent-rule-after-criticism-from-lebron-james-rich-paul-more ↗

What this told me is the NCAA may be responsive now to public criticism. They didn't used to flinch under public scrutiny.

I'm thinking if we get smacked with infraction penalties for their current investigations while Duke remains off their radar screen (especially after our allegation concerning Zion), we should create a large scale protest.

KU has fans everywhere... but what is more important here, Duke is probably the most-hated team in college basketball! Every D1 fan that isn't a Duke fan feels like Duke gets a special treatment, from on the court (refs in games), to NCAA tournament seedings, to getting a pass on recruiting allegations.

Does anyone here think Zion's family was NOT paid for him to attend Duke?

If Zion wasn't paid I've got a house in Durham to sell you

That rule was probably not going to stand up to a possible legal challenge, and Rich Paul has the means to drag that fight out as long as the NCAA was willing to.

The power of Lebron. He tweets it and then Chris Paul and one other friend of Lebron’s (can’t recall whom) and 90 million people have been reached. Besides it was a accidentally racist rule made by a committee on basketball that knows nothing about the inner workings of basketball. That committee has impressive names, but they should all be fired for gross incompetence.

"Requiring a four-year degree accomplishes only one thing—systematically excluding those who come from a world where college is unrealistic," Paul wrote. "Does anyone really believe a four-year degree is what separates an ethical person from a con artist?"

With this logic do people like this believe that no job should have any requirements?

BigBad said:

"Requiring a four-year degree accomplishes only one thing—systematically excluding those who come from a world where college is unrealistic," Paul wrote. "Does anyone really believe a four-year degree is what separates an ethical person from a con artist?"

With this logic do people like this believe that no job should have any requirements?

There are requirements to become an agent. The NBA Player's Association certifies all agents that work in the NBA. You can find their requirements here ↗.

The issue that was brought up is that Rich Paul has met all of the NBPA requirements to become an agent, but the NCAA was attempting to add additional requirements on top of what the NBPA requires.

It makes sense to have job requirements. Being an agent has those. It just doesn't make sense for the NCAA to add additional requirements.

dylans said:

Besides it was a accidentally racist rule made by a committee on basketball that knows nothing about the inner workings of basketball.

What? Please help me understand how the rule is accidentally racist.

The committee includes several prominent black men and women, so I don’t think there is anything intentional. The current agents excluded are mostly black men. (ie Rich Paul). I think it’s just poorly thought out. And now revoked.

I find it hilarious how incompetent the committee to fix ncaa basketball is. We may not have a game to watch in 20 years at this rate.

HighEliteMajor said:

dylans said:

Besides it was a accidentally racist rule made by a committee on basketball that knows nothing about the inner workings of basketball.

What? Please help me understand how the rule is accidentally racist.

I assume he means the disparate impact standard, which I believe you and I agree is garbage. The newish thing is to declare anything that adversely affects minorities more than whites is “structural racism.” Since Rich Paul is black, the disparate impact standard would theoretically apply.

I should’ve said is being touted as unintentionally racist. I don’t give a f$&k.

I wonder... I wonder... how much damage is caused by overplaying the race card? I think minorities sometimes are avoided because of the fear that a race card will be played, and the fear is coming from very non-racist people but they fear they will make some kind of communication goof that will land them in the doghouse.

I'm a person of color and I feel free to discuss this in here. Does everyone in here feel comfortable talking about race? Doubtful... and understandably so.

And when people feel repressed it is likely resentment will follow. Just ask any person of color.

@drgnslayr

It seems to me that you (people) can't talk to anyone without fear of some sort of retribution. People have lost their minds. We can't talk about race, politics, religion. We can't talk to or about the opposite sex. We can't talk about handicapped people, athletes, military. We can't talk about anything or anyone without someone throwing out the "Oh boo hoo, I'm offended, you're trying to belittle me" card.

I am so ready to buy my own private island (am currently taking donations....) and be apart from all the crazies.

My only requirements are A/C and television. And a nice comfy mattress. Kind of like an upscale versison of Naked and Afraid. I hope that doesn't offend anyone.

@nuleafjhawk

If you find your island maybe I can be your neighbor on a nearby island? We will invest in a big satellite dish together so we can still watch Jayhawk ball!

@drgnslayr Maybe minorities do hurt themselves quite often by overplaying the race card. That being said, though, the Rich Paul Rule (and that is what it was) was dumb and elitest, to say the least. To say that you need a four-year degree to be an agent is like saying that you need to go to college in order to sale Avon... Please....

@drgnslayr NO WAY. You can be on my island!! Therefore, our island.

drgnslayr said:

If you find your island maybe I can be your neighbor on a nearby island? We will invest in a big satellite dish together so we can still watch Jayhawk ball!

Better stay clear of Zenger Island or blackout dates may apply. Wait, can I say "blackout" anymore? :$

@tis4tim PTSD setting in bringing up that name...

dylans said:

@tis4tim PTSD setting in bringing up that name...

I felt filthy just typing it. Too soon. My apologies @dylans. I think I need a shower.

Hahahhahahaaa.... now this is the jovial attitude we all need! If the world crumbles, the world crumbles. As long as our season schedule isn't interrupted...

@drgnslayr

I think race played a role in the reaction to the "Rich Paul" rule, but not in the normal way. Normally, a minority with no college degree would not have the power/money/influence to speak out against this sort of thing.

Rich Paul does, so it throws a wrinkle into the normal power dynamic because people aren't used to a person like him being able to push back against a big institution like the NCAA, and people are especially not used to a person like him being able to push back against an institution like that and win.

I don't think what the NCAA did was racist. More just poorly thought out and vetted. They listened to people in the industry, some of whom have an agenda against Rich Paul because he is competition, so cutting him out of a lucrative part of the market is a money decision. However, had this been vetted more carefully, the entire decision/fallout could have been avoided.

@justanotherfan

Good post.

The degree rule also impacts non-minority agents.

I know this ends up becoming an issue going into the finer details where statistics end up being the reason it becomes "racial" and it is concluded that minorities are impacted in a higher percentage than non-minorities.

I definitely believe sometimes rules and such like this are put in place to intentionally impact minorities in higher rates. I also believe that many times these things do not have intention behind them (like this NCAA rule) and we (as a society) have to decide where the line is drawn because you can extend statistics use and inject it into every element in life.

It's nice to keep emotions down and talk about things openly. It's the best way to get to a positive understanding/resolution!

@drgnslayr There were two black guys working next to each other in the office where I work, and one of the guys excelled, while the other one struggled. The one that struggled would always call for help from the manager, and the other always handled his deals from start to finish. I tried to encourage the guy that was struggling, but he told me that the customers were just too racist, and wouldn't buy from a black man. I friended the struggling guy on Facebook, and got bombarded with a daily dose of racial injustices ( real or perceived ) that he furiously posted for hours at a time. I think both gentlemen found what they were looking for - Brandon found racial injustice in a world he perceived as unjust and unfair, and the successful guy got promoted to manager. Tim made bank, and Brandon posts on Facebook. Injustice is always there to be found if that's what you're looking for.

@KUSTEVE It’s never the failures fault that he fails, is it? 😝 my dad’s advise for pretty much everything - Figure it out.

KUSTEVE said:

@drgnslayr There were two black guys working next to each other in the office where I work, and one of the guys excelled, while the other one struggled. The one that struggled would always call for help from the manager, and the other always handled his deals from start to finish. I tried to encourage the guy that was struggling, but he told me that the customers were just too racist, and wouldn't buy from a black man. I friended the struggling guy on Facebook, and got bombarded with a daily dose of racial injustices ( real or perceived ) that he furiously posted for hours at a time. I think both gentlemen found what they were looking for - Brandon found racial injustice in a world he perceived as unjust and unfair, and the successful guy got promoted to manager. Tim made bank, and Brandon posts on Facebook. Injustice is always there to be found if that's what you're looking for.

Sounds like Brandon needs reparations.

@HighEliteMajor Brandon needs to be let out of the prison cell his mind has created. He's a really nice guy, btw.

@KUSTEVE We are saying the exact same thing .. mine just with sarcasm. And it might be the prison cell that others have helped create for him.

@KUSTEVE

Interesting post you made here. But I think you have still missed the key difference because you are trying to understand why Brandon failed instead of looking at why Tim succeeded.

Obviously I don't know either Brandon or Tim. But I know why Tim succeeded. Tim succeeded because he didn't waste time.

Most of you probably think I am referring to Brandon's Facebook posts. That isn't it. I'm referring to Brandon's sales strategy. Brandon is black and racism exists. There are people that won't buy from a black person. I have experienced that myself. But I know what Tim knows. YOU DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME TRYING TO CHANGE THOSE PEOPLE'S MINDS.

Think of it this way. Both Tim and Brandon encounter one person each day that will not buy because of their race. Tim determines that within the first few minutes of the sales call, thanks that individual for their time and moves on. Tim spends 15 minutes on that, and moves on to other clients. Brandon, on the other hand, spends 90 minutes trying to convince this person. He gives his best pitches, outlines all the benefits, works every angle, follows up with management, etc. The deal still doesn't happen. Brandon spends 4 or 5 hours over a 2 or 3 day period and gets the same result Tim got in 15 minutes - no sale.

Brandon is frustrated because he is working hard for no results. That's making him bitter and disillusioned because he's beating his head against the wall for nothing, so he's on Facebook venting.

Tim isn't frustrated or bitter or disillusioned because he didn't let someone else's toxic racism infect him. He recognized it and moved on to something that could be beneficial. Tim succeeds.

They deal with the same problem, but Tim doesn't waste time trying to convince people that don't want to be convinced. Brandon does, and that works against him. Brandon is working harder than Tim in all likelihood, but because he is spending so much time and energy on lost causes, he can't do as well with clients he actually can sell to.

And that's the difference.

@justanotherfan Which is why Brandon was reassigned to IT.

But I think you have still missed the key difference because you are trying to understand why Brandon failed instead of looking at why Tim succeeded.

I think you're trying to be too smart by half. My original point was that most of what holds us back is our thinking, and most of what propels us to heights that seem impossible are also due to our thinking. We get what we think. That encapsulates both gentlemen. If I didn't drone on about Tim's success enough for you, then I think you might not be understanding my point.

KUSTEVE said:

@justanotherfan Which is why Brandon was reassigned to IT.

😂

@KUSTEVE

I think you missed my point. I didn't say you weren't focused on Tim's success. I said you weren't focused on why Tim was successful. The reason is what matters. But I will flip it so its easier to follow.

They both were encountering racism.

They both recognized that they were encountering racism.

Brandon failed because he spent time actually trying to persuade racists to buy from him. That is a waste of time, and that wasted time caused him to fail because he tied up time, energy and resources on lost causes.

Brandon is allowing people that have judged him by his skin color to make him fail by letting them rob him of his time. He can't get that time back, or outwork that wasted time because its just gone.

That difference in time allotment meant Brandon was bogged down dealing with people that would never buy from him because of the color of his skin.

Its not that Brandon encounters racism. Its that Brandon gives racists time and energy that they don't deserve. That is why Brandon failed.

@justanotherfan Simply put, Brandon let himself get upset and distracted. Which is similar to saying he got in the way of his own success. Tim kept his eye on the prize. Another way of saying don't waste time on things you can't change, or, to put it more concisely, move on.

Non Illegitimis Carborundum Est: Don't let the bastards wear you down.

@justanotherfan I appreciate the virtue signaling.We both agree racism is bad. Especially when one thinks everyone else is a racist like Brandon did. The thought of "racism" clearly affected him.

Hard if you haven't walked in his shoes.

Really good posts in here.

I'm not going to say I've had a hugely successful life... but I will say I am satisfied and have peace of mind with the way my life has progressed. Like most people, I've had ups and downs.

I try not to spend time contemplating if I think someone is racist or not mostly because that isn't my job. I'm a person of faith and it isn't my job to judge. But I do have to make my way through life and I get impulses from people and go off of that because I have to maneuver through life.

I learned a long time ago.... when I was more judgmental it always backfired. I projected negative things back, like showing frustration. That did nothing but feed the situation if that person was racist or not. Why go a negative direction?

By staying focused on what I desire, I usually get what I want. I take the high road and that pretty much guarantees I blow right by those who are in the ditch. And I don't look back.

When thinking of racism I pity those who are racist. They are holding themselves back from so much in life. Giving themselves limitations. They are missing the big party in life.

I feel like our American way of life is being threatened perhaps because life has been too easy for people. People have a lot of spare time and can waste their lives away getting upset at just about any comment said. The over-dramatization is unreal... and I, like many, blame media for a lot of that because they constantly "stir the pot". It happens on both sides of the political aisle.

As a country we do best when we are truly challenged with something. When that happens, we tend to come together and get it done. Read anything about WWII and how all races came together to defeat Hitler. That's who we are... and when it counts.

So I cut my brothers and sisters in this world a lot of slack for comments and such. I know when the time comes and we all have to stand against something, like a foreign invasion, we will be together. Just wish we could all be together when the times are good!

I love this site for my KU basketball fix, but the lagniappe is being privy to thoughtful and respectful discussions of topics that for some are difficult. Thank you all for the great exchanges in this thread.

@drgnslayr :hundred_points: well said.

bcjayhawk said:

I love this site for my KU basketball fix, but the lagniappe is being privy to thoughtful and respectful discussions of topics that for some are difficult. Thank you all for the great exchanges in this thread.

All my years on this planet and I have never come across the word "lagniappe" in anything I've ever read. I gave you a thumbs up on your post and if I could give another for vocabulary lessons I would do that too, good sir.

@tis4tim I tried in vain to remember if it was in any vocabulary lessons in high school. I remember "angst" and "dystopia"--I even remember "antidisestabishmentarianism"--but not that one!

@tis4tim lady💃 Smart lady!

@Crimsonorblue22

Thanks, Crim! I love that word. I've been fortunate to visit the Louisiana Cajun area a number of times and that's where I learned it.

Crimsonorblue22 said:

@tis4tim lady💃 Smart lady!

Ugh! No wonder I don't know “lagniappe”. I don't even know the gender of some of our posters!

My apologies @bcjayhawk. I'll try to do better next time!

mayjay said:

@tis4tim I tried in vain to remember if it was in any vocabulary lessons in high school. I remember "angst" and "dystopia"--I even remember "antidisestabishmentarianism"--but not that one!

Twain mentions it in "Life On The Mississippi", apparently. I thought I read that as a youth, but I either didn't read it, skimmed over the word entirely or maybe thought it was a publisher typo.

Still, not a word one might readily come by, unless you live in Louisiana ... or seriously love Mark Twain.

@justanotherfan I must be the most naive guy on the planet. I haven't read all of the "racial" posts word for word, but I am literally in shock. This stuff is still that prevalent? I can't believe it.

I'm white, but I've had many friends over the years that were not. Mostly black and hispanic. I don't know what Brandon and Tim were selling, but It's never crossed my mind not to buy something - car, house, groceries, whatever it is i'm buying - from someone just because they are another race. That's CRAZY.

Just curious - are you guys in the midwest? Like I said, maybe i have my head in the sand, or maybe it's different in other parts of the country/world.

That's a sad, sad thing to not like someone for the color of their skin. (of course my twisted mind wants to add "when there are so many other things not to like them for!" jk )

I live in the South. Things are much better than they used to be from talking to locals, but racial division still bubbles up from time to time.

tis4tim said:

Crimsonorblue22 said:

@tis4tim lady💃 Smart lady!

Ugh! No wonder I don't know “lagniappe”. I don't even know the gender of some of our posters!

My apologies @bcjayhawk. I'll try to do better next time!

don't feel baad neither do I - -guess I really need to try harder to know gender before sometimes I run my mouth or get in heated discussion - -never want to offend a lady/woman - -Especially a fellow KU fan

@jayballer73 I want a lagniappe.

KUSTEVE said:

@jayballer73 I want a lagniappe.

Sorry Dude - -but I don't even have any fricking Idea what that even is lmao - -don't you be cussing me lol - -gonna have to go to webster's - -now how do you spell websters

I aib't got none of that them there edciaaaaaated type of doings - -dad gum it - - -JUMPIN - - -GEE - - HOSSA - -FATS - - buddy can I buy some of whatever that is at Walmart? lol - - - ROCK CHALK ALLD AY LONG BABY

@bcjayhawk I lived in Louisiana Cajun country for 11 years and became a user of the word Lagniappe, and an eater at Lagniappe Restaurant but only once because the food was crappy. I like the word lagniappe, rolls off the tongue, and I can make puns off of it like I put my ID on my lagniappe (instead of course, my lanyard).

11 years of living in LA, and particularly with my work in the inner city, gave me a close up view of current racial disparities, slights, and overt racism. From the north where I'd moved from I was curious to see it up close, although hoping I wouldn't see it. We witnessed white families moving out of our new middle class subdivision because it was largely African American. Our kids had classmates ask why they lived in the ghetto. We got the last laugh by making a nice profit on our house when we sold 11 years later. Sports was another area where it persists. I watched a referee whistle 7 fouls on our team in the first 2 minutes of the 2nd half. We were winning by 10 against the 2nd ranked team in the state, but schools from the 9th ward are not allowed to beat 20,000$ a year private school kids so the refs took care of it. I also watched another rich kid private school create a mud bath out of our sideline for our football game against them, even though we were 2nd ranked in the state.

Sadly, I could go on but you get my point. Anything else I add would just be lagniappe, or a little bit extra.

We are all - whether we admit it or not - racists and or bigots in one form or the other. That has been man's struggle since our very beginning, to somehow control a little something that is both necessary and redundant - instinct...... And now back to our regularly scheduled program.....

So,,,, when is the NCAA going to wrap up its investigation? Answer : Never.... Far too many co-conspirators.

@nuleafjhawk Racism is still very common in the south, it just doesn't look like what it did 50+ years ago before the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, and other associated legislation from the JFK/LBJ administrations.

It's much more subtle and institutionalized these days for the most part. An example I can give is standardized testing. Here in Texas, our standardized state test is called the STAAR test. A survey of the STAAR test found that the reading level is typically 2-3 years above grade level meaning that a 7tg grade STAAR test is written at a 9th or 10th grade level. I teach at in a Title One district where most kids reading levels are considered below grade level.

At one of my staff development trainings earlier this month, a video was played illustrating what this looks like. It was a white boy, white girl, black boy, and black girl lined up on a track to race. When the starter fired the gun, the white male took off, the other three had to wait behind a wall. As years passed along, eventually the white girl was allowed to start, but had some hurdles to clear while the white boy was running unimpeded. The two black people still hadn't left the starting block yet. Neither black person left until the year reached 1865 and then they still all kinds of different obstacles to clear until the year reached 1965.

There has been more racial progress made in this country in the past 55 years than in the previous 350 years prior and there's still a lot of work to do.

drgnslayr said:

Really good posts in here.

I'm not going to say I've had a hugely successful life... but I will say I am satisfied and have peace of mind with the way my life has progressed. Like most people, I've had ups and downs.

I try not to spend time contemplating if I think someone is racist or not mostly because that isn't my job. I'm a person of faith and it isn't my job to judge. But I do have to make my way through life and I get impulses from people and go off of that because I have to maneuver through life.

I learned a long time ago.... when I was more judgmental it always backfired. I projected negative things back, like showing frustration. That did nothing but feed the situation if that person was racist or not. Why go a negative direction?

By staying focused on what I desire, I usually get what I want. I take the high road and that pretty much guarantees I blow right by those who are in the ditch. And I don't look back.

When thinking of racism Inty those who are racist. They are holding themselves back from so much in life. Giving themselves limitations. They are missing the big party in life.

I feel like our American way of life is being threatened perhaps because life has been too easy for people. People have a lot of spare time and can waste their lives away getting upset at just about any comment said. The over-dramatization is unreal... and I, like many, blame media for a lot of that because they constantly "stir the pot". It happens on both sides of the political aisle.

As a country we do best when we are truly challenged with something. When that happens, we tend to come together and get it done. Read anything about WWII and how all races came together to defeat Hitler. That's who we are... and when it counts.

So I cut my brothers and sisters in this world a lot of slack for comments and such. I know when the time comes and we all have to stand against something, like a foreign invasion, we will be together. Just wish we could all be together when the times are good!

I've come to believe that we are all - when you get right down to it - racists and or bigots in one form or the oth

But (I have a problem with education that is self-loathing, claiming theory to be fact) that is only a video.

nuleafjhawk said:

@justanotherfan I must be the most naive guy on the planet. I haven't read all of the "racial" posts word for word, but I am literally in shock. This stuff is still that prevalent? I can't believe it.

I'm white, but I've had many friends over the years that were not. Mostly black and hispanic. I don't know what Brandon and Tim were selling, but It's never crossed my mind not to buy something - car, house, groceries, whatever it is i'm buying - from someone just because they are another race. That's CRAZY.

Just curious - are you guys in the midwest? Like I said, maybe i have my head in the sand, or maybe it's different in other parts of the country/world.

That's a sad, sad thing to not like someone for the color of their skin. (of course my twisted mind wants to add "when there are so many other things not to like them for!" jk )

First, its a credit to you that you don't think that way. I think a lot of people do not think that way. It absolutely IS crazy to think that way.

I am however, not surprised that you do not encounter this. I think we can agree that a very small percentage of the population is racist. Given that you know hundreds of people, you may know a handful of people with racial superiority/inferiority ideology. However, given your own position on these issues, those people likely won't ever act on that around you because they know you think that's crazy and will likely react, and may even socially shun them or change your opinion on them based on their attitudes toward race. You may even know some of these people well, but they would never reveal that side of themselves to you.

For instance, I was once called a "colored boy" in a business meeting. Needless to say, everyone that was there was shocked that the person that said that actually said it, and the reactions of others in the room reflected that.

But let's say that man had just said "this guy" instead of "colored boy". He has the same attitude in his heart. He holds the same ideology in his mind. He just has a better verbal filter.

I'm still not going to get a fair shake from him when I have to deal with him one on one. He still thinks of me as a "colored boy", he just knows he can't say that. By changing those two words, he draws zero reaction from anyone, and if I have problems dealing with him, no one will say that its because of his racial attitudes. They will just say that I have to learn to work with him on things, or that I have to be more flexible, or that I have to take more personal responsibility. The obligation shifts from him to me, even though I can't change his heart or mind, because he isn't doing something blatant, so he gets a pass even if he is politely screwing me over at every turn.

People with those attitudes have learned that they will be socially ostracized for that type of behavior, and no one wants to be an outcast. But they also know that they can feel the exact same way, and even act on that, so long as they watch what they say and never point to race as the determining factor. And if they do that, they can make sure you never even see it.

@justanotherfan hopefully working with you long enough will expand his mind and change his heart.

When I lived in Europe I had all kinds of friends... most were white. My Swedish bro is white. Some of his words sounded racially conflicted. I knew he wasn't a racist because he became my best friend. Over a beer he told me he never knew a person of color before me. So I felt it was my duty to have him take the "total plunge into darkness" by meeting another good friend of mine who was extremely black skinned. He was Rastafarian and played in a well-known reggae band. They became friends, too.

The moral of this story is that many people just don't have experience with other cultures. No one should hold that against them. Give them a chance! I know I'm glad I did that because otherwise I wouldn't have my best friend today!

The key is to stay positive and keep that positive perspective throughout your life. There are so many cool people out there that don't match your skin color just waiting to meet you and start a lifelong friendship!

@drgnslayr that was really nice💙

tis4tim said:

Crimsonorblue22 said:

@tis4tim lady💃 Smart lady!

Ugh! No wonder I don't know “lagniappe”. I don't even know the gender of some of our posters!

My apologies @bcjayhawk. I'll try to do better next time!

@tis4tim

No apologies necessary. While I've come to believe in my time of following this site that some posters know each other in "real life," when we're chatting back and forth here, we're all happily anonymous:woman_dancing:

bcjayhawk said:

No apologies necessary. While I've come to believe in my time of following this site that some posters know each other in "real life," when we're chatting back and forth here, we're all happily anonymous:woman_dancing:

Well, you're a little less anonymous than you were twenty-four hours ago! I've eliminated half the global population in trying to figure out your real identity. :)

Seriously though, thanks for your understanding.

Crimsonorblue22 said:

@justanotherfan hopefully working with you long enough will expand his mind and change his heart.

Unfortunately not. We didn't cross paths much after that, and he never spoke to me after that incident. I haven't seen this person in at least a decade.

tis4tim said:

mayjay said:

@tis4tim I tried in vain to remember if it was in any vocabulary lessons in high school. I remember "angst" and "dystopia"--I even remember "antidisestabishmentarianism"--but not that one!

Twain mentions it in "Life On The Mississippi", apparently. I thought I read that as a youth, but I either didn't read it, skimmed over the word entirely or maybe thought it was a publisher typo.

Still, not a word one might readily come by, unless you live in Louisiana ... or seriously love Mark Twain.

I don't remember the word from Twain. If memory serves, I believe I learned it from a cookbook written by Chef Paul Prudhomme who became known for his blackened red fish. He had a restaurant called K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen on Charles Street in the French Quarter in New Orleans. I remember waiting in line to get into it. I was travelling for business and so was dining alone, but at K-Paul's you got a chair rather than a table so you dined with whomever was seated at the same table. I don't remember the gentleman's name, but he was a teacher visiting NO for a teacher's conference. I'd like to think it was @wissox :man_teacher:

In the cookbook, a lagniappe followed each recipe.

@bcjayhawk I remember another great Cajun chef - Justin Wilson, who may or may not have used that word, but he used a lot of other colorful ones. Maybe it was because his tongue was numb from the "cooking" sherry / wine.

@nuleafjhawk

Yes, I remember Justin Wilson, too. His TV show was always entertaining to say the least!

@bcjayhawk Ha, I'd like to think it was me too!

I'm feeling some harmony in here! Always better to be bonded Jayhawks... no need for ruffled feathers! ha! We'll save our frustrations for the kitty kats in Manhattan and Columbia! Glad to be a bird where we can fly over the kitties with ease and can perch on higher grounds! hahahahahahehheeee