Okay, I’ve been on a bit of a tear around here the last few days. I’m not really sure why, as everything has been going fine and nothing out of the ordinary has been happening in my personal life. But for some reason I’ve just really felt the need to blow and go the last few days.
I know many of the things I’ve said have been disappointing to some of the friends I’ve made here, such as Zoe and EddyTeddyFreddy, and that certain posters who are at least willing to give me credit for being more than a knuckle-dragging mouth-breater, such as Miller, have been surprised and frustrated at my behavior as well. I’m unhappy about this as I hold these folks in high regard, as I do many other posters here, as well.
I would like to thank stretch for making me cognizant of the lurkers who likewise may find my behavior offensive. I have been accused by kaylasdad99 of cunningly tailoring my posts so as to sway the anonymous lurkers who read what’s going on around here. I denied it, and truthfully so, but perhaps this will illustrate to him that even had I been trying such a tack, it likely wouldn’t have been effective.
So, all in all, I’m truly ashamed of myself. I really don’t know what has gotten into me lately, and I apologize to all of you who have earnestly and honestly been trying to engage me in a discussion about my assertions and have been stonewalled, and to all of those who have been disappointed to see me behaving this way.
I’m sure this post will come back to haunt me frequently in the future and that there will be many times when I feel an opponent is unfairly trying to use it to his or her disadvantage, but what’s right is right, and I believe a sincere and heartfelt apology is the only right thing to do here.
Starvers, I’m not going to address the more serious issues, coz you’re a mate of mine on the boards and so I’m in no place to make impartial judgements. Save to say, I DO find a lot of the angry debating stuff very formulaic and posed, and just can’t take it seriuosly. So many of the best discussions (and best posts) around here happen as a by-product of something else, not when people are in sophomoric debate mode. IMHO, YMMV and all that stuff.
A couple of things attracted my quirky interest, though. Fist, what’s a “mouth-breater”? And this is not intended as a snarky typo-pointing out strategem, because I don’t know what a mouth-breaker, mouth-beater or a mouth-breather is either?! Others (fellow Americans) will no doubt know what you meant. I haven’t a clue.
The other part I liked was about “the lurker”. Honestly, many of my more serious posts are in truth designed for the lurkers. I know the average poster who’s got used to me will ignore it or misread it or skim it, so what one’s left with are the Silent Bobs out there! And when they email you, it makes your day…
Thirdly, you should be roundly excoriated for such a shameless attention-seeking act as pitting yourself. I trust that no one will bring you more attention by starting a pit thread to pit this!!
Seriously, I actually do consider you to be a fine and cordial fellow, even if we differ politically, and I do wish you the best. So take care of yourself, y’hear?
For someone who’s absolutely wrong about absolutely everything, you’re a pretty good guy, Starving. Take a break if you need it, but don’t stay away too long. You need us liberals to keep you grounded.
I was thinking about it, but I didn’t want my first thread to be something like that, and anyway, for me, it’s not you but the way you were making your arguments.
The first post of yours I responded to IMHO was self contradictory, you criticized liberals for being soft on some crimes, and too tough on others. You were pretty hot so I didn’t feel a need to hold anything back.
When I showed you that you were wrong about that one news story. you very graciously admitted you got it wrong, and in my response I complimented you on it. But before I had finished writing that complimentary post, you were claiming that it didn’t matter if you were right or wrong everybody was just going to disagree with you either way. In my post I did say that if the facts of the case were different than I would agree with you. (Go figure we can agree about some things, even if we don’t about everything.) That’s why most everybody around here is cite crazy, we could have gone on forever arguing about it, but my cites gave you the the evidence you needed to change your mind.
The post that followed your mind change by EddyTeddyFreddy and your reply to it, told me a lot about you. I figured if you were looking for a fight, I’d try to give you one.
Now if your lookin’ for a reasonable, calm, polite discussion of things, while it might not be as much fun as a flame war, it would be more productive. I am going to insist on cites, I gotta be able to start from the same page your on, so I can tell you if I agree with you or not, and you should demand the same from me, if I can’t back my shit up, I deserve to be called on it!
Dude, pitting yourself, that takes a BIG pair ol’ balls, you should be proud!!! You Terminator you.
I can’t speak for Zoe, but I’ve gone beyond disappointed to insulted. Yes, you did not intend to, and I know that. It’s what’s stayed me from posting much in reply to you, since I didn’t want to say things to you in anger.
Now that you’ve calmed down enough to read what I say and absorb it, I repeat my previous advice: Learn to love the word “some”. Some liberals/lefties exhibit the traits you despise and condemn. Not all, though; not by a long shot. Few and far between, in fact, in my experience. And yet the broad brush you’ve been using to paint your strawmen black tars me as thoroughly as those few who deserve it. I am a liberal, leftist in my political/social philosophies, and I resent the outlandish cartoon you’ve been drawing.
Let’s reframe it in a blatant way to make my point clear. Let’s posit that you were to make sweeping generalizations about women: They’re gold-digging airheads, ruled by raging hormones, incompetent, emotional, not worth taking seriously – “But I don’t mean you, ETF, I could talk about things with you and you’d actually make sense.” To which I’d react: “Yeh, and some of your best friends are women, I bet.” :rolleyes: Your comments would offend me because they’d denigrate an essential element of who I am. Could I really trust assertions of regard from someone so wholly contemptuous of my gender?
Now, of course you don’t believe and you’d never say stuff like that. But that’s analogous to what you’ve been doing lately in your frenzy of liberal-bashing, and it bothers me, not least because you’re a decent sort of guy and I know full well you would be – no doubt are now – distressed at discovering you’ve offended me. I forgive you. But I’m not so forgiving as to let you off the hook before I’ve pointed out just what sort of cliff the ideological blinders can send you over.
Heh. It may be hubris of the highest order to suggest this, but next time you feel the urge for an orgy of liberal-bashing, perhaps you should stop and ask yourself: “What would ETF do?”
A mouth-breather is a generic term along the lines of knuckle-dragger, the implication being, I suppose, that lesser animals haven’t quite mastered the art of using ones nose to breathe, and pant like dogs. Not sure about the exact etymology.
You and I see things different politically, that’s all. But I know your heart. If anything, you give me hope for Conservatives.
You feel things deeply and that’s part of your nature – just as being creative is. It amazes me sometimes that you managed to get on that side of the political perspective. But there you are!
Your words about Rosa Parks meant the world to me the other day – more than anything that anyone else said.
Sometimes I wonder why you are living here and not across the pond. As long as we’ve known each other, you are still a mystery to me. Where are you going, Mr. Artist?
There is a stereotype of people who are mentally retarded that they tend to “forget” to keep their mouths closed when they are not talking or eating as (presumably) most people do. (The validity of the observation or stereotype has been batted around on the board, before, but that is the origin of the expression.)
Personally, I’ve also found that the political debates have gotten to me more lately. I’ve decided to avoid them for awhile myself until either they or I grow a little calmer. Everyone needs to take a break now and then.
Well here, take some of my medication. I’m not using it. And cheer up, you are no worse to anyone around here than anyone else, not that that is a high standard. If you want to be a saint, follow Polycarp around and emulate.
Dammit! I was SO ready to come in here and call Starving Artist a MOTHER FUCKER for no apparent reason. But then he got all mushy on me and apologizes to everyone. Which would make it inappopiate for me to call him a MOTHER FUCKER now. Hence I just wasted 1 min of my life clicking and reading this thread.
You should take great heart from your self pitting. You should realise people see you as a reasonable person and someone they enjoy arguing with.
I don’t agree with your political opinion often but I do respect the way you state your opinion. I also respect the way you can hold your opinon, while still showing respect for those you disagree with.
You are big old righty type but a fine example of that. I always look forward to reading your opinion, you have a certain tone that shows you are a person of gumption and caring (no matter how wrong you are :D).
This board NEEDS many opinions, that is what makes it interesting. When differing opinions come from civil, polite but argumentative people then we all win.
You Terminator you.