Before I comment, please note that I have never been to Penn Bowl. I have heard questions from past Penn Bowls, however, and based on them I have come to realise that Penn Bowl isn't my thing; I'm not passing judgement, just voicing my personal preference. That having been said, Dorri wrote: >If you don't like Penn Bowl, DON'T COME. I think that is excellent advice, though to it I would like to add a corollary, to whit: "If you do come, don't be surprised by what you get, and don't complain." I think Goodman and Hamilton are correct in their most basic premise, which is "Penn Bowl is what it is, has always been more or less the same, and likely will be the same in perpetuity." Note, again, that I am not passing judgement on Penn Bowl (again, based on what I have heard of questions from Penn Bowls past, I have concluded it is not to my liking, but I cast no aspersions on them, as my likes and dislikes are personal, and should not be taken, Categorical Imperative-style, as paradigmatic for what is good for everyone). If I (and they with whom I agree) am right, than all teams should have a basic idea about what they will be getting. Therefore, it seems foolish to be surprised if their expectations are realised; every time I have eaten lima beans, I have found them to taste the same, and hence there is no reason why I should be astonished if I eat another platefull and have the same taste experience. Teams who go to Penn Bowl, or so it seems to me, should already have a conception of what they will encounter, especially if they have been there before (maybe this is less so for those novitate to PB). Hence, it seems illogical that these teams should have grounds for surprise by what they get there; this being so, it seems even more futile to complain about it. I never complain about the taste of lima beans, because I know what to expect when I eat them, and if I elect to do so, than ultimately the fault for what negative experience I have will lie with myself for subjecting myself to it (conversely, I am infrequently surprised by the wonderful taste of Hershey Bars; I know them, have eaten several, and have a clear conception of the adventure I will embark upon by eating them; perhaps the element of surprised rapture is diminished by familiarity, but I know what I'll get. Complaints about Penn Bowl and lima beans seem to me as futile as voicing objections to the color red; there is noting you can do to effect changes in the color red, though you can choose not to subject yourself to it if it bothers you. Seth Kendall (speaking for myself and my army of slaves)
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