# Coldfire **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 13, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919 "2004-07-13T16:27:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/21 "2004-07-13T17:20:27Z")
A shame. Soon the only people posting from Saudi Arabia will all be Westerners. Oh well. Dude, **Coldfire** and the rest have bent over backwards like the Cirque d’Soleil and the Big Apple Circus combined for you. You’ve been given so many more chances than the typical American or British poster that I couldn’t count them on my fingers, my toes, and a Costco’s worth of calculators. Howver, at this point I think your removal would further the cause of the eradication of ignorance a great deal. I’d be interested if you could give an example of anything _you_ have learned from this board–some positive thing. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/22 "2004-07-13T17:21:43Z")
I have a couple issues here. 1. I agree with **aldebaran** regarding English only. This discretion thing needs to go because it does look like some posters are allowed to post in another language if the moderator agrees with them. Frankly, **Broomstick’s** use of another language didn’t help her case much. If you meet an American, 8 times out of 10 they’re going to be monolingual so it’s not a bad assumption to make. Second, as we’ve frequently pointed out, just because one American can speak another language doesn’t refute the notion that the vast majority can’t. The rule should be tightened down to make it so that only cites can be provided in another language if that’s what the original document is in. But that’s not the rule now, so it doesn’t matter. 1. **Aldebaran** is completely insane. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/23 "2004-07-13T17:33:46Z")
> [@Coldfire](#): > > Apology accepted. But you’re obviously completely unaware of my views regarding the current US Administration. How else could you make remarks like:A greater mischaracterisation of my views vis-à-vis Iraq, I could not have imagined. It was not meant to say that you agree or disagree with the current US adminitration. It was meant to say that you obviously feel yourself to be a bit as if you were a citizen of the USA yourself, because you love a woman who is a US citizen. As see this as an explanation as to why you react as you did making of a simple remark (which in fact was a question) to clairobscur exactly the same as broomstick choosed to make of it. > [@](#): > > So how in the hell do you expect me to take your tirade seriously? You accuse me of not reading your posts well enough, leading to misinterpretations. I do not accuse. I simply make the constatation of a fact that is very clear to me. > [@](#): > > Yet in the very same post, you prove beyond a shadow of the doubt that you have no problems attaching a political label to me, based merely on the nationality of my wife and the fact that I moderate a predominantly American message board - even when my actual views expressed (and they’re _not_ hard to find) completely contradict your claims. See above. And I never read anything of what you wrote on no matter which issue (I think). You do not post in GD as far as I know, and that is where I used to post most of the time. > [@](#): > > Pot, Kettle, Black. You’re coming across as someone looking for a fight. I can not help you to look at it that way. In my opinion a discussion about what someone else posts is “not looking for a fight” but merely discussing a post. Next you argued that board rules are only rules if you want them to be rules… Sorry, but how do you want me to take you serious? As in: unprejudiced? I said it in a mail to someone else: I used to be a moderator once,. My rule was to read posts and **then** eventually look at the name of the poster. That way you simply can not start reading while having some “past posting history” or “personal disagreement or dislike” in mind which influences your judgement . > [@](#): > > I cannot be any clearer than I was in the last thread: go back and read it again, if you must. Maybe you should do the same and tell me what is unclear to you in my posts. > [@](#): > > The high horse doesn’t become you very well, **Aldebaran**. At least not when you refuse to play by the rules you so desperately try to enforce on others. Sorry. I can’t follow this one. Maybe you should translate it in Dutch because it is obvious that it has a value for you 🙂 Salaam. A ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/24 "2004-07-13T17:41:01Z")
Dear Santa, I’ve been _ever_ so good this year. Can you make my wishes come true? Love, me ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/25 "2004-07-13T17:42:28Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > The second point looks like insulting a person for not being perfect in using their second language. Sorry but that has an air of hypocracy coming from someone who rightly gets very annoyed when people point out his own mistakes in his second (3rd,4th,5th?) language. I was never annoyed by anything people said about my English. On the contrary: I always said that everything intended to be helpful was very much appreciated. (By the way: English is not among one of my languages) > [@](#): > > Secondly I personally find any equating of mono-linguality with stupidity insulting. Where do I say that? I say it limits someone in their perception of the world that exists outside the scope of their language. Salaam. A ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/26 "2004-07-13T17:46:37Z")
> [@Aldebaran](#): > > (By the way: English is not among one of my languages) Well, it’s true what they say. An infinite number of monkeys at an infinite number of keyboards can produce something approximating English but have no idea what they’re writing. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/27 "2004-07-13T17:48:44Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#): > > Oh, I would _ **love** _ to see this. However, I strongly doubt its existance. Well, you can doubt it, yet it does exist. Since you are so interested maybe you can tell me that I read this completely wrong. \*\*Quote: I never said that you were the greatest scum one can imagine. Do not put words in my mouth. I have seen MUCH greater scum. end quote\*\* It is of course a great comfort that said administrator was so nice to declare to have seen alread MUCH greater scum then I am supposed to be. Salaam. A ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/28 "2004-07-13T17:49:51Z")
> [@lno](#): > > Well, it’s true what they say. An infinite number of monkeys at an infinite number of keyboards can produce something approximating English but have no idea what they’re writing. Very true. By the way: was this English? Salaam. A ---
**Author:** ![ElectricZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58f4c7/32.png) [@ElectricZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElectricZ)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/29 "2004-07-13T17:53:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Post nothing else but Hail USA, Hail Bush, Please Come and Invade My country Also? Followed quickly by… > [@](#): > > It was not meant to say that you agree or disagree with the current US adminitration. It sure looks like you meant to say it. I’ll read it again to be sure, but it comes across like you’re suggesting that posting pro-USA, pro-Bush, pro-War is the way to make the moderator happy. > [@](#): > > Post nothing else but Hail USA, Hail Bush, Please Come and Invade My country Also? I hate to say it, Aldeberan, but if your basing your pitting on this premise it’s looking kinda weak. If nothing else, this thread is proof positive that NOT allowing users to edit previous messages is the right thing to do… EZ ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/30 "2004-07-13T17:55:10Z")
[QUOTE=Mehitabel] A shame. Soon the only people posting from Saudi Arabia will all be Westerners. Oh well. [/QUOTE° There are a few posting form the Saudi Kingdom. Why you are so obsessed with it that I would be there, is a riddle to me, but if it makes you happy… > [@](#): > > I’d be interested if you could give an example of anything _you_ have learned from this board–some positive thing. Of course. I learned that the US is not a hopeless case as long as there are people who are not as ignorant as you are. Which is not a difficult standard to meet at all. Salaam. A ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/31 "2004-07-13T17:57:11Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > I have a couple issues here. > > 1. I agree with **aldebaran** regarding English only. This discretion thing needs to go because it does look like some posters are allowed to post in another language if the moderator agrees with them. Hmmm…well, so rules should be tightened because _one_ individual makes a big fuss about it? In this case, whether you agree with it/think it help her case or not, \*\* broomstick \*\* point in using french was rather obvious. I’m not convinced that new restrictions should be implemented each time someone goes out of his way to construct the implementation of the existing rules as unfair. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/32 "2004-07-13T17:58:15Z")
> [@Aldebaran](#): > > Well, you can doubt it, yet it does exist. Since you are so interested maybe you can tell me that I read this completely wrong. > > \*\*Quote: > > I never said that you were the greatest scum one can imagine. Do not put words in my mouth. I have seen MUCH greater scum. > > end quote\*\* > > It is of course a great comfort that said administrator was so nice to declare to have seen alread MUCH greater scum then I am supposed to be. > > Salaam. A Dimwit. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/33 "2004-07-13T18:03:29Z")
> [@ElectricZ](#): > > It sure looks like you meant to say it. I’ll read it again to be sure, but it comes across like you’re suggesting that posting pro-USA, pro-Bush, pro-War is the way to make the moderator happy. Yes, re-reading I see also that it does. Yet it is not intended to have a link with the personal views of Coldfire on these issues. It was influenced by the fact that he is not the only moderator who came out of the blue attacking me the past two days because they perceived me to post something critical of the USA or the US policies or US propaganda or US way of selling the causes or developments of certain events. So maybe it is the new policy line here that you must avoid criticizing the USA or its policies and wave a flag whenever you logg in. And I was indeed influenced by his post, the way he seized the occasion to attack me for something he perceived as being critical to the US citizens. > [@](#): > > If nothing else, this thread is proof positive that NOT allowing users to edit previous messages is the right thing to do… Why? Salaam. A ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/34 "2004-07-13T18:07:23Z")
> [@lno](#): > > Well, it’s true what they say. An infinite number of monkeys at an infinite number of keyboards can produce something approximating English but have no idea what they’re writing. Infinite? Nah. Fifteen, twenty monkeys tops. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/35 "2004-07-13T18:07:26Z")
Well maybe not for you seeing how you can barely understand the sentences you’re writing. Others, however, might suddenly realize how stupid they sound and try to go back and remove the evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/36 "2004-07-13T18:08:59Z")
> [@Aldebaran](#): > > Well, you can doubt it, yet it does exist. Since you are so interested maybe you can tell me that I read this completely wrong. > > \*\*Quote: > > I never said that you were the greatest scum one can imagine. Do not put words in my mouth. I have seen MUCH greater scum. > > end quote\*\* > > It is of course a great comfort that said administrator was so nice to declare to have seen alread MUCH greater scum then I am supposed to be. Looks like sarcasm to me. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/37 "2004-07-13T18:12:53Z")
Well shit. Aldebaran, I like you, I really do. I also happen to agree with you on many issues. With that said, your beef with the thread title in question deserved an apology from you. What clairobscur did was no different than me starting a thread to bitch about the Republican stance on a certain issue with a title such as “Filthy Gays wanting to ruin the sanctity of Britney’s marriage(s)”, in which I posted about how stupid they were being for using such a lame-ass argument to fight against SSM. I’m betting you would have had no issues had I done that, even though most gays are not filthy, and not all Republicans have an issue with gay marriage. You actually had some good input in that thread, but you owed her a BIG apology. I thnk had you issued that apology, the thread would have not gotten so off-topic. Aside from that, lately you have come perilously close (but I haven’t seen you quite go all the way there yet) to making arguments along the lines of “You criticize A, but not B, therefore you are in essence siding with B.” Those of us who frequent criticize Israel’s policies get this shit all the time, and I’m sick of it from them, so don’t go there yourself. It’s silly, untrue, and is nothing but a copout, and is beneath you. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/38 "2004-07-13T18:14:43Z")
> [@Aldebaran](#): > > Very true. > By the way: was this English? Given that you have stated that English is not one of your languages, I am forced to conclude that we are speaking Dutch to each other, which to my great amazement, looks and sounds exactly like English. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/39 "2004-07-13T18:15:24Z")
> [@Jeff Olsen](#): > > Looks like sarcasm to me. Sarcasm? You mean as in : Clearly intended to say that I am not the greatest scum the moderator ever encountered on this board. Meaning that while I am scum, there were worse cases of scum in the past. As I said, knowing that was such a great comfort to me. Salaam. A ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/40 "2004-07-13T18:17:52Z")
Forgot to add, **do not go the “martyr” route**. It’s a trick some of our right-wing friends use (“You banned me because this is a liberal board”), and we’d rather you didn’t go to the dark side. 🙂 I’ve been a member her for a long time, and the day I get banned (or anyone else for that matter, right, left, gay, straight, or otherwise), is the day I deserved it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919.md?page=3)