Ricebox was Re: [TenTec] ten-tec

[Grant Youngman]

> snip ... I wonder if it is
> necessary, in comparing radios, to use a perjoritive word such as "jap
> radio," "rice box," or other such terms to describe radios made in
> Japan, at least in part by fellow (albeit japanese) hams.  There must
> be other ways to register one's patriatism then by using such terms to
> describe persons from another country.  

We've been around this issue several times.. but it just won't go away.  
Perhaps because I'm sort of a multicultural person I take offense at the 
notion that we can't make any distinctions, and that we must be "careful" 
in the terms we use .. unless, like most (here's the cynic), it's a private 
conversation that we don't think will be overheard by anyone differenent 
that us ...  You know .. the only place that Baptists don't say "hello" to 
each other is in the liquor store ..

I'm truly sorry if someone doesn't like the term "ricebox" or "jap", but 
that's sort of your personal problem.  The folks who build the radios that 
are referred to by these terms do a superior job at building radios that 
perform well.  It's Americans .. or maybe caucasians ... bless their hearts 
...  that need to get over the language.  The people to whom the refences 
are made, just rake in the $$, and don't worry too much about it.

I'm still trying to figure out why these (or other terms) are seen as 
perjorative?  It seems to me that "ricebox" refers to a product of high 
quality and decent (at the very worst) performance.  My IC-781 was a 
"ricebox", and by darn the 7800 will be  a "ricebox" too.

My spouse is Asian, and as a result, a huge portion of my family is .. uh .. 
Asian.  I eat a LOT of rice at my house, and a variety of other things 
including fish maw (that's stomach, by the way, delicious saute'd ), fish 
eyes (truly impressed my once soon to be inlaws, much like olives with 
pits), sea cucumber (it's a "slug" in case you aren't familiar with this 
delicacy), tripe .. ok, I have to draw a limit SOMEWHERE ... ::-)   and a 
range of other things you PC-sensitive types have never considered 
bringing into the same room as your lips.

My spouse doesn't find the term "ricebox" offensive.  She thinks it's pretty 
funny, considering the fact that until earlier last year, all of my primary 
radios have been "riceboxes" since the early 80's.  So why should you 
think it's offensive?  Most peoples of the world celebrate their 
'differences" -- except for white Americans who somehow think that it is 
not "correct" to "notice" that someone else is short, or green.

Why not just get over it?  "Riceboxes" are good radios, and there's 
absolutely nothing negative implied by the term .. if anything it's a 
compliment.  "Darn thang's good as that ol' "ricebox" I used to have on 
the farm".  The Orion's a good radio, too ....

Grant/NQ5T