Theory of
taxi1010.com

Taunts, Insults or Attacks

Codewords Inside the Attacks

Two-Word Bridges Back to Yourself

Backup
Responses

Six Choices

Essays | Art

Street Smarts

Presskit | Publicity

Feedback

Periscope

Site Map

Kids' Pages

Milestones

The Way Out

 

CLINIC

PATIENT

DIAGNOSTIC

Patient refers to it as stargate-oh-three

A Bully.3

Nagging.3

 

TOOLSET

INFORMAL FALLACY

 

—As if.

—Think so?

It's relative.

Why bother?

Moxie's

Disease

 

The Fallacy of Complex Question — A trick question contains an implied answer to a prior question which has not been resolved.

 

NOTES TO MYSELF

PSYCHOLOGICAL AGE

CLASS

[ulterior motives] - They're trying to get you going by posing trick questions, or falsely complimenting you - They may be up to something, but they're just angry - Hormone storms.

The Age of Domination, ages 0-3

Murder

 

 
 
 
 
 

Exactly what someone said [or did]
... usually not very original.

The thoughts of a "bad child"
... to free your mind again.

ATTACKS

BRIDGE

SILENT BACKUP

"For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country." (–Michelle Obama)

—It's relative.

—It's really nice to see something real.

"Now that the shuttle has safely landed, the Navy is free to shoot down a disabled spy satellite."

—Think so?

—Very believable.

"Can't handle a strong woman, can you?"

—Why bother?

—Maybe you could ... It is not what I would call life's most worthwhile thing ... Nail it up in your garage ... A natural little dog crucifixion.

"All you have to do is say yes or no."

—It's relative.

—Take your pick.

"Are you getting any chance to write?"

—It's relative.

—Amazing things! Things you wouldn't believe ... You can fool around and change it.

"Hey! You're getting a spare? Or you're going home?"

—As if.

—Give up!

"You must be the arithmetic man –You add trouble, subtract pleasure, divide attention, and multiply ignorance."

—Think so?

—That's what the basketball players do.

"pfeh. that's garden level. I shoot for the penthouse, baby!: www.taxi1010.com [you will not get the full flavor unless you attempt to navigate it, so click links] (and because he obsessively checks his referrers, there may be a Dumbrella link there shortly!)"

—As if.

—Life is simple; people are complicated.

"Whoa. Eventually I gave up seeking rhyme or reason while trapped on a page of insults, so I went to the site map. And found that the entire site map is organized into... a tarot deck. Very intuitive. I hear that Microsoft is implementing the Tarot-navigation system in their knowledge base, actually."

—Why bother?

—You're better off going along with life.

"What are good ways, or comebacks, to get rude people off your back?"

—It's relative.

—Do you realize there's an audience here, and there's not much of an audience here?

"Stop caring what other people think – It doesn't matter."

—As if.

—Love messages.

"You've got it made when you can fake sincerity."

—Why bother?

—It's under water.

"Return to being a happier individual."

—As if.

—You know, I feel I can lean on you.

"You're brutal."

—Think so?

—Had enough? Want to take a break?

"You ta-ta! You're not Sam!" [From a four-year-old playmate]

—Think so?

—You wish!

"How are you doing, sweetie?"

—As if.

—Too young!

"What's up, babe?"

—As if.

—I'm too young to be your babe!

"Come on, honey, don't treat me that way!"

—As if.

—No, no! — The cord is cut.

"How much do you make every month, for nothing?"

—As if.

—Do you need any?

"Okay, buster, let's see if you can make me laugh."

—As if.

—I negotiate with terrorists.

"Make me!"

—Why bother?

—A child is a slave.

"I know you are, but what am I?"

—As if.

—No mystery.

"I AM CALM!"

—As if.

—It's obvious.

"What am I going to do about you?"

—Why bother?

—How can you get out?

"Am I mentioned?"

—It's relative.

—Whatever you do, don't buy a chain saw.

"What's a good line?"

—Why bother?

—That's really all it is.

"Are you just going to cut in line in front of me?"

—As if.

—Believe me, I've been through it.

"He looks like a girl!"

—As if.

—You keep a person thinking, huh?

"He tells the truth when he's around you."

—It's relative.

—If he can talk back or walk away, he's okay.

"He just does everything right."

—It's relative.

—Stage directions.

"Is he with you?"

—Think so?

—The Trump of Death is his name.

"Dad, are you going out?" [He wants the house to himself]

—Why bother?

—I wonder if it's tiredness or I have nothing to do?

"My dad can beat up your dad!"

—As if.

—What about the cat?

"Question authority."

—Why bother?

—Don't get other people to blame for your troubles.

"Here's where you earn your living as a political pundit."

—It's relative.

—It's always wrong for a person not to use their abilities.

"Open-toed sandals — I don't know about that."

—Think so?

—That's why I'm lucky — I have my foot in some kind of door.

"Looks like you might be a star."

—It's relative.

—We all are one way or another.

"There's a code — It's in the regulations."

—As if.

—Far from it.

"Shame on you!"

—Think so?

—Very dramatic.

"She didn't have a chance."

—As if.

—If we don't remember the past, we're condemned to repeat it.

"I had a chance to fuck her, and I didn't."

—Why bother?

—There you go — Onward and upward.

"Everyone hates the music, Todd, and everyone hates you!"

—Think so?

—All night long.

"Do you smoke pot?"

—As if.

—These days? — I forget.

"Mom, have you ever smoked pot?"

—Why bother?

—Well, I used to play cards once.

"It's the product of years and years of a mind ravaged by drugs." [Link from The Brandon Abell Experience]

—Think so?

—If you take enough of a vacation from yourself, it won't have that power over you.

"Have you stopped taking drugs?"

—It's relative.

—It's probably what parents call laziness or noncooperation.

"Are you still on drugs?"

—Why bother?

—Am I missing something?

"While you're here, wanna take a hit on some weed?"

—Why bother?

—I don't know what the problem is ... Now why? ... Eat strawberries, listen to records, go hiking, learn a lot ... No bullshit.

"To Jim R. Have you considered medication?"

—As if.

—The party generation.

"Have you tried medication?"

—As if.

—You're much deeper than you think you are.

"I recommend lithium."

—Think so?

—There's a new sensation.

"Anti-psychotics are really a must for you, man."

—Why bother?

—Do it by moonlight.

"Drug abuse."

—Think so?

—Very few people have guided self-awareness.

"I'm not joking, I'm worried for you :("

—Why bother?

—That's plenty good, huh?

"When did you stop beating your wife?"

—As if.

—There's no need to.

"Are you still beating your children?"

—As if.

—Let's not and say we did.

"When did you stop hating Black people?"

—It's relative.

—I didn't get a chance.

"Good try!" [Presuming you were up to no good]

—As if.

—If everything's wrong, what's right?

[Someone flipping you the bird]

—As if.

—That's your IQ! Tattoo that on your forehead!

[The finger]

—As if.

—Quick reflexes! Stick it in your ear! Slit your throat!

[Finger wagging]

—Think so?

—Just keep it in mind!

"I probably should wash them first."

—Why bother?

—Very few people have.

"What are you, my father?"

—As if.

—Honor your mother and father; love your neighbor.

"You're not my father or mother!"

—As if.

—When you're not attacking innocent people, what are you doing?

"Bob, is she giving you shit, or what?"

—As if.

—Are you sure it's good enough?

"Is that your statement, or a question?"

—It's relative.

—Give yourself time.

"You just coming in or just going out?"

—It's relative.

—Better late than never.

"Did you write all that, or is it research?"

—It's relative.

—Daily.

"Is it for fun, or do you generate any money from it?"

—It's relative.

—I like living the life in the shade.

"Is this something original, or did you learn it from someone?"

—It's relative.

—The land that time forgot.

"You go to work now or you go home?"

—It's relative.

—When you work, work hard, and when you play, don't work at all!

"Is modern Japanese culture based on the spirit of the Samurai or on shame?"

—It's relative.

—Beyond that.

"Is that good or bad?"

—As if.

—I'm glad you're not the Emperor.

"Do they sweat a lot or are they just incontinent?" [Your wet dogs]

—As if.

—They went swimming in Strawberry Creek!

"Is he a professional, or just somebody who likes coming to your door?"

—It's relative.

—I know someone you could ask.

"Are you smiling at me or with me?"

—It's relative.

—How much will you pay me to leave you alone?

"You should feel ashamed of yourself!"

—Think so?

—I don't want to hear about it.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

—As if.

—I'm ashamed because I hate myself! — Don't you think that's ironic?

"What's wrong, are you a lesbian or something?"

—As if.

—They're just pretending they're hotshots.

"So you still haven't found a man who will marry you. What are you — a lesbian?"

—As if.

—I'm dangerous Dan McGrew.

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

—It's relative.

—The better the artist, the nicer the person.

"Your pores are really huge! I've got some concealer that could take care of that problem – it's like Spackle."

—As if.

—What's in your scarpazoid?

"Squeeze your nose!" [Fresh crop of blackheads]

—Why bother?

—It's like the mask.

"I dare you to give your husband."

—As if.

—I just don't have the will power.

"Become the man that women desire."

—Why bother?

—They're experts at compassion.

"Did the ewe come out and visit you?"

—Why bother?

—The future can wait.

"I bet you can't swim across."

—Think so?

—The best thing to do is nothing.

"I double dare you!"

—Why bother?

—Why do you have to do what everyone else does? [Also see, Peer Pressure]

"Chicken!"

—As if.

—Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? — No guts.

"Another guy picking on you, huh?"

—As if.

—Read Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

REFLECTIONS

 
 
 
 
 

29-MAY-1999. Recreational Drugs: Some people have more tension than they can handle. They want something or someone to be their mother. Drugs reduce tension by having you feel you don't have to have a mother. They're like a short-lived feeding schedule — satisfying extremely deep instinctual hunger — for people who can't be their own parents.

11-APR-2008.

 

Thick
of
It

ShortCuts

Top
of
Page

 

24-JUN-1999.

 
 
         
     

taxi1010.com — Thumbnail
User's Guide

 
 

OVERVIEW

         
     

Towards Truth In Human Communication — Certain ideas expressed in a few words put a stop to impudence, sarcasm, or hostility without making a scene. This website contains over 200 pages of research on verbal self defense, based on sixteen years of empirical research — Specific tools for letting cool heads prevail!

 
         
 

PHILOSOPHY

         
     

We teach decent, well-educated people how to be really fresh to mean people. Since mean people break all the rules, we replace the vicious law of the jungle, and the suffocating rules of the parlor, with the warmth, humor and kindness of understanding.

 
         
 

FRAMEWORK

         
     

The website uses the metaphor of a Japanese Mental Hospital to treat the attacker as a "patient" (thereby reducing his or her importance) — You be the "doctor," and I'll be the taxi driver. It is my job to introduce you to the grounds of the hospital, and to treat you with honesty and respect.

 
         
 

STRATEGY

         
     

At this hospital, we use a strategy of divide-and-conquer. All verbal abuse, without exception, is shuttled to one of eighty-eight hospital clinics (which the patient whimsically calls "stargates"). At the moment, we are actually inside clinic #3. You can see this if you scroll to the top of the page.

 
         
 

CHILD SAFETY

         
     

This website is child safe, because children, for the most part, can't actually read. It's too bad — There are many things here which would help a child, such as what to say to a solicitous stranger, what to say to a bully on the playground, what to say to a vicious teacher. Unfortunately, a lot of people don't want children to know these things.

 
         
 

FRESHNESS

         
     

My sister and I update taxi1010.com almost daily. My name is Richard and her name is Amoret. It's her birthday today (October 29), and it's also the birthday of the Internet. Over here in Berkeley (sometimes called "the epicenter"), I'm in charge of layout and text. Over there in Wilmington, North Carolina (sometimes called "the eye of the hurricane"), she's in charge of art and graphics. We're so close, we can actually communicate telepathically, though we find it much easier to use the telephone.

 
         
 

NAVIGATION

         
     
 

Use the "Bradley Box." It has four cells which (from top to bottom, left to right) take you to (1.) Publicity, (2.) Kids' Pages, (3.) Periscope, and (4.) Street Smarts, which Amoret and I use for internal site development and testing. After reading an article in the New York Times on the value of limited choices (6-Jan-2001, p. D7), we added a navigation page for Experts that very same day.

 
         
 

GYIDED TOURE

         
     

It's a little late now. I'll just tell you something really fast. Next time you're on the freeway, and you have to change lanes, remember someone will hate you if you do change lanes, someone will hate you if you don't change lanes, so you might as well have fun. If they flip you the bird, scream out, "—As if!" (or just think it.) If they wag their finger or shake their head in disapproval, scream out, "—You think?" Even from your car, your facial expression will convey your true state of mind.

 
     
     

"When someone attacks you with words, look for something inside yourself that sparkles."

 

MIND CANDY

     

Well, anyway, here's the Guided Tour: After life knocks you around, then you can read something. This is the mockup for a book you can carry around in your pocket. I'd mail you a copy, except I don't have a printer!

 

     
 
 

PURPOSE

         
     

The symptoms of verbal abuse are speechless contrition (deeply buried self-attack), neurotic codependency, hostile confrontation (identification), time-consuming preoccupation, total capitulation, and angry resentment (reaction formation). The purpose of Non-escalating Verbal Self-Defense is to replace physical and psychological symptoms with words.

 
         
         
         
 
 

 

Ø  ¥

 

CODE WORDS: abuse, across, am, anti-psychotics, arithmetic, ashamed, authority, babe, beating, [bird], brutal, buster, caring, chance, chicken, concealer, dad, dare, desire, disabled, drugs, ewe, father, [finger], hates, hating, he, here's, honey, individual, joking, lesbian, lifetime, line, lithium, make, medication, mentioned, obsessively, open-toed, or, pen, picking, pot, regulations, seduce, shame, sincerity, squeeze, star, stopped, strong, sweetie, ta-ta, Tarot-navigation, try, visit, wash, weed

 

III
Apus
"Bird of paradise"

—Think so?