Hmph. Most of us italicize like this.
You just gained a lot of my respect.
You too. I agree and have done so when I joined. Maybe a refresher is a good idea. My thanks for a dignified response. I look forward to learning. I hope to help others do the same, in my small and humble way. Well, in some way, anyhow. I owe you a debt of gratitude Cartoonverse; I have been spelling tomatoe (?) the wrong way, all these long years. I beg forgiveness. Not really. But thanks for being civil. I have a bit of trouble with rules. But only arbitrary, stupid, or unfair ones. In other words, most of them.
I don’t know how to italicize. That bugs me too.
You sound just like some pathetic loser I remember who played ball at Polk High. I didn’t realize that getting shoes from the back room was considered ‘hard physical work’.
See the bright yellow banner at the top? We’re always happy to Fight Ignorance. It’s what we do.
To be clear. One tomato is a tomato. Not a tomatoe. Plural tomatoes is tomatoes. Not tomatos. I don’t make the rules up, but that is the proper spelling of that particular fruit.
Oh, and Mr. Manual Labor, you’re swinging a very big stick in a very crowded room if you’re assuming that everyone reading your tirades- myself included- has never done physical work.
Try this on for size. Lock 78 pounds to your body so it hangs asymmetrically and not against your body. Now trot after people for 4 minutes at a clip. Do so for 6 hours. Do not sit down. Take a 1 hour break. Continue to do this for a total of 22 hours.
Rinse and repeat. That’s what I do for a living, sometimes, when I’m at work.
You insult everyone on this Board when you presume to know what people do or do not do for a living or what their life experiences are. The greatest GIFT of this message board is the incredible mélange of human experiences shared.
Oh, and one more thing if I may. If you don’t know who the Perfect Master is, you may want to spend a few minutes using the Search function. 
This message board uses something called BB Code. Here is the key for commonly used coding on the SDMB..
We are encouraged to post all “test posts” over at ATMB - About This Message Board. That way, a normal thread is not gummed up with a member learning to do proper coding. People routinely go in and simply start a new thread called “Testing”, or what have you. Then they can learn the keystrokes needed to do the kind of coding we use here, including the italicized entry I bollixed up up there.
Shodan, before this thread’s imminent closing, I’d just like to say that was damn funny.
Piss poor retort though.
Just keep working on the trolling and abandon all attempts at humor. It’s best to focus on areas of realistic potential.
As for your gripe about posters refusing to address the topic of the thread (It *wasn’t * the Poke a Stick at the Fit Old Manly Intellectual thread?),
I actually came into this thread hoping for a good old cop-related rant. But you sure derailed your own train in a hurry.
Yeah. Sometimes I too question god’s omniscience.
Aw, you don’t have to call me “Mr.” What is the job you describe ? That does sound harder than hell. It was wrong of me to presume, as you say. Many have made presumptions about myself, as well. Most of these were equally wrong. I believe I stated that I don’t know of the Perfect Master. I’ll check him (?) out. But I can already say I will not believe he is either. Nature has nothing that can be called “perfect”. And the very idea of a “Master” is abhorrent to me. I hereby apologize to everyone on this board. (I have no idea why you capitalize that word; ok, I have an idea. I wish I could italicize idea. Use your imagination 'til I learn)
Can I now expect some apologies, myself ? I don’t want any, so perhaps. Thanks for the guidance. (sic)
I’d say they’re about equal. Your prejudice is showing. I’m not a troll. And I know I’m funny. Your opinion means nothing to me, on that point. The rest is nearly unintelligible. I may well be a jerk. But I’m certainly not alone in that. Many here seem to think we, here, are in the railroad business. I’m not one of those. The rant you sought is here, right here. You’re a piss-poor reader, evidently. And while you may not be a jerk, you have the potential. The “gift” for such, in fact. (thanks again, Cartoonverse)
Nope, not me. I’m a different loser. Why the put-down of shoe salesmen, anyway ? That seems like an honest living and may be harder than either of us thinks. Or are all working-class people lazy scum to you ? Sure sounds that way.
Anyway, All Aboard ! The train’s leaving the station and is now on the 8th page, even though it has no destination, and seems able to run indefinitely. Choo-choo ! Chugga-chugga, and so forth.
He’s like the “witty” old drunk guy at the wedding reception that grabs the microphone and just won’t shut up, isn’t he?
common good, as you know, this is the Straight Dope Message Board. It originated as a community for fans of a long-running newspaper column based at the Chicago Reader (and syndicated in other independent papers nationally) called The Straight Dope. The column has been collected in several books and has run in print continuously since 1973.
The author of that column is Cecil Adams.
Now, since many of us have been fans of Cecil’s column for decades, and he is indirectly the reason we’re all here, some of us occasionally refer to him–jokingly–as The Perfect Master. It is a tongue-in-cheek way to express our appreciation for, and gratitude to, Cecil.
Cecil, and the Straight Dope, have been “fighting ignorance since 1973.” And sometimes, just sometimes, I get to help.
This is what I get for trying to be nice. But you are correct about one thing: I will never shut up. I may well be banned but it will be because of the classist attitude that pervades this place. Not for any argument I present. We all have our biases. Only a few are willing to admit it. I’ll wager most of you are big Ayn Rand enthusiasts.
Most members think “Atlas Shrugged” is an important work. I say it sucks. Correct me if I’m wrong, or, as is becoming customary, even when I’m right. If I have a valid point on this, say nothing at all. Because social cowardice is endemic at this puffed-up palace of the pretentious. Hmm… never thought I was any good at poetry. I guess I underestimate myself, like everyone else here. Good day, gentlemen and vicious ladies. Let’s do this again. I’m learning so much ! It’s saddening. But I can take all you can hurl at me and a lot more, too. So keep those weeny-arms loose.
Thanks for the info., Andros. But Mike Royko will always be my guy. A great Chicago columnist, as well, RIP. I admire this board’s stated mission. But I’ve been fighting ignorance since about 1957. Pardon me if I’m not bowled-over. I like you.
He’s like watching your drunk 70 year old uncle break dance. Uncle thinks he’s cool and making all the right moves, but everyone else is shaking their head and laughing at him.