(emphasis mine)
I understand what you’re saying, and I don’t mean to belittle your point, but… sometimes what we smell in the “air” is ourselves. 
I guess you must have forgotten the part where you equated the critics with a “lynch mob.”
I’m quite aware that it’s not just about me. I’m also aware, however, that plenty of people in this thread have been offering genuine and thoughtful criticism, and are not ragging on Lissa just for the sake of being assholes. You might disagree with those people, but it doesn’t make them a lynch mob, or “snide unhappy people” in Sonia Montdore’s words.
This thread is starting to make my head spin. I think I’ll go have a Long-Island Iced Tea or two and come back whereupon things surely will be a lot easier to follow.
No, I’m aware of my word choice, and I stand by it. It certainly describes the situation that led to Lissa feeling she needed to start this thread in the first place, and I think it describes a sufficiently high percentage of the thread itself to warrant the description. True, it doesn’t describe every single post in this thread. I suppose, “a bunch of assholes, plus some doubtlessly well-intentioned folks who have nonetheless taken this thread as an opportunity to air their petty and unfounded gripes,” would have been more accurate, but “lynch mob” sounded zestier, so I went with that instead.
Miller, I hope you’re not including me in that group. I have always liked you, and I’ve always liked Lissa.
I know there is a poster here who works in a museum and that her husband works in some sort of correctional facility capacity. It only rings a bell to me because other posters mention it.
One of the really bummer things about this site is that that damned search button works so well, the readers are so damned regular and their memories are so damned good.
The fact is, people that read doggie threads probably think of you more one way than folks that read about criminal threads. Egads, read any Mommy threads and I’m the soppiest sponge here.
I’m often perceived differently by people than I expect. I don’t understand it sometimes, but it happens online and in my life, so there is something that I’m doing that causes it. I also have to realize that sometimes, people are just freaks and just tend to take things the wrong way. (I greeted a table today with Happy Mardi Gras and Happy New Year, it’s the year of the pig, a very lucky year! and a lady went off about how stupid Cincinnatti is with their flying pigs everywhere)
If it’s any comfort, I’m pretty odd, but I’ve never had a problem with your posts, your usage of the word Hubby, or anything really, (that I recall) And I really did like your input in the missing wallet threads. I’ve always wanted to work in a museum.
Flying pigs? Everyone knows that Cincinnati is all about plummeting Turkeys. What’s up with these new fangled Flying Pigs?
Jim
The bitchiness in this thread is shameful. Several people ought to apologize to to the OP. Just goes to show, unhappy people resent those, like Lissa, who are well-adjusted and pleasant. I feel very sorry for some of the bitter people who have posted here.
Sonia, I guess I am a supporter of Lissa. She knows I am, so I pretty much stayed out of this thread. At first, I thought it was a bad idea, but it looks like it turned out to be a good idea.
A few of the posts have been constructive criticism and a few have been cutting. To expect people to apologize for saying mean things in this a pit thread is very unreasonable. Lissa had to know she would get some posts like this. Letting posters vent their minor annoyances here and now is probably a good and positive thing overall. Lissa will probably watch the tone of her posts a little, she might be a little more careful in reading rebuttals of some of her specific thoughts and experiences and having had their say, many posters will probably be less annoyed by her and thus less bitchy towards her in the future.
Lissa is a nice poster. I like reading her posts. She is good about providing links to things that support what she says when she knows she is not an expert. These are all very good things. She has a few quirks that apparently annoyed a surprising number of dopers. I hope that this thread cleared the air. Just because some people are willing to express their annoyance without holding back does not make them bitter people.
I think ETF is a good example. Does she come off bitter in most threads? She also is a very nice poster. She is witty and has a great ability to make Limericks and Haikus. Like Lissa, I look forward to her posts. When you spoke of bitter people, it appears you are including ETF as she said some negatives things to Lissa. Are you also including Polycarp who went out of his why to provide some polite critiques? Maybe you should clarify who you think are the bitter people. Jodi holds no punches, does this make her Bitter?
Etc.
Jim
if you think what’s been posted in this thread amounts to shameful bitchiness, I’d suggest you stay out of the pit in general.
especially when a poster posts a thread about themselves inviting comments. She asked, I answered. and, frankly a lot less cutting than many pit threads. (see, for example, Lib’s comment to ETF in this thread )
Oh, fuck off you self-righteous harpy.
There, that bitchy and bitter enough for you?
Why so bitter, wring? Why so unhappy? Why must you post so shamefully? Perhaps if you folllowed Sonia’s example and merely waded in at the end of threads to pass judgment on the participants, you too could be well-adjusted and pleasant, like she is.
Poor, poor wring. Poor mhendo. You make the baby Jesus cry. You make Sonia shake her head in sorrow. This is how you make her feel ==> 
Hang your heads in shame.
Now that is some damn good sarcasm. Are you sure you aren’t just bitter?
Jim
*:: hangs head in shame.
Starts to giggle uncontrollably
Remembers she’s in the pit
flashes the bird at nearby puppy::*
Nothing scary. I won’t pretend that I don’t look from time to time. Very little of substance is posted but it is amusing from time to time. I think of it as a retarded threadspotting. I use it to find trainwrecks that I might have missed.
No, she’s just unhappy, and she doesn’t have any kittens around to kick.
I was wondering why all the rain last night, but I guess the baby Jesus was having a good cry over all the meanies in this thread.
Eh, no, the Baby Jesus was just really disappointed in the guys on American Idol.
Lissa, I don’t have a beef with you (I like your dog pictures, and I enjoy reading your museum stories), and I’ve been following this thread from the beginning. I do think both sides have valid points, and I think it’s pretty admirable that you opened this thread in the first place. Take what you can from it.
E.