: I have noticed that although some questions here are specific to Politics or religion, many are not. That does NOT however, lend itself to thoughtfully replying to the substance of the question at hand. Does anybody else find this a bit frightening that we have become so Polarized by whatever group we choose to link ourselves to. A simple question such as, “Do you think coffee is too expensive?”, can easily turn into a spitting match about greedy corporations, Left wing / Right wing Policies, the New World Order, Global warming, Labor Unions, the Fall of Communism, Y2K, Hitler, Minorities, gun control, Gays, The Constitution and Jesus…just to name a few.
Is this a Political Message Board, or one where we try to honestly answer questions?
C. All of the above
Heck, you should’ve seen the thread on the Confederate flag, on the AOL board! Don’t let it get you down…you’ll fit right in!
Designated Optional Signature at Bottom of Post
Yes, coffee is too expensive, even though it is picked by peasants being ripped off by big corporations and probably causes global warming.
Yes. And that’s not likely to change anytime soon, as our puppet mono-partite government will only act in the best interest of Wall Street’s gay Socialist one-worlders (a few automatic firearms might fix that, if we were only allowed to have them anymore in ‘Amerika’).
And don’t get me started on the coffee/tobacco symbiosis … It’s enough to make a guy turn to Jesus.
“Then you learn the lesson,
That it’s tough to be so cool …”
Sunbear, you swine - you know coffee isn’t expensive enough. The coffee pickers’ union isn’t…oh, uh, sorry, where was I? Oh yeah, don’t take it too seriously.
Coffee? COFFEE? When the people’s revolution comes, any of you swine that survive will be drinking tea! But not Earl Grey tea. That fascist collaborator will be one of the first up against the wall!
There is a radio station called KOFI (coffee, get it?) in Kalispell, Montana. And I have have a strong suspicion that the that the “I” stands for Illuminati…
You can all drink ALL the coffee you want in the privacy of your own homes! I don’t see why I have to be gassed with the foul odors of French Roast, Colombian or Jamaican Blue Mountain in public. Second hand coffee fumes kill!
I fail to see how this MB differs in this regard from any other form of printed discussion either online or in dead tree publications such as letters to the editor.
ATTN: SUNBEAR, RTA, ASEYMAYO, MIKEKING, WHITETHO & POOCH:
Finally, a little wit!
The Voice
(emphasis on the little)
Yes, I’m guilty of missing half the wit here. I just read half the original post and then post some meaningless unrelated thoughts. That’s why I never write more than three sentences.
Lead on, The Voice. Uhmmm…what was the question or topic anyway? Would I be correct in summarizing your initial post as ‘why can’t we be friends’? And, I think you are frightened that simple conversations get blown out of proportion. Am I following you correctly?
Well, net boards have become dojos for a lot of frustrated people living lives of quiet desperation. When I first visited a chat room, I had thought I was witnessing the fall of civilization. Alas, the ugliness, the ugliness. Perhaps there is some connection to Americans shooting each other and their inability to converse, with different opinions, harmoniously.
Since you started this thread, perhaps you could show a little more leadership and offer a little guidance as to what is acceptable since a little humor does not seem to be appropriate.
Pooch Says…~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lead on, The Voice.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~Voice replies: Pooch!Pooch, Pooch, Pooch. You cut me to the quick. So, lead I must and answer I shall. To wit:
““Would I be correct in summarizing your initial post as ‘why can’t we be friends’?””
OUCH! NO! Dear, not friends…just civilized, perhaps. And you do touch on that:
““When I first visited a chat room, I had thought I was witnessing the fall of civilization. Alas, the ugliness, the ugliness.””
I share that sentiment, sweet Pooch. My curiosity being satisfied, I no longer indulge.
““Perhaps there is some connection to Americans shooting each other and their inability to converse, with different opinions, harmoniously.””
Thus Spake Pooch!!!
And quite correctly, I might add. One cannot simply offer an opinion without adding their Politics, hates, Union, NonUnion, Corporate, Welfare, Antiwelfare, Christian, Atheist views. Clearly, this does not pertain to questions of a Political, Christian etc., nature, mind you. As I stated, one cannot ask a question, Oh, let’s say such as: Why do dogs chase their tails? Without the responses being various dissertations on their Political, Religious, Social and Ethnic philosophies.
Pooch continues:
““show a little more leadership and offer a little guidance as to what is acceptable since a little humor does not seem to be appropriate”” ~~~~~~Pooch! I am hurt! I was not suggesting, in any way at all that folks refrain from wit. I loved the responses you folks made to this Q. It was sarcastic, clever and witty! My equally sarcastic response was to be taken as homage, not reproach!
Now, as to Leadership. I have been reading Cecil for well over 20 years. You will notice that although he is extremely funny…he does manage to respond in a hichly succint and FACTUAL way. And he continues to warn people against trying this at home! Now, if Unc isn’t enough, have you ever spoken to a lawyer? You will go through hours of feelings and opinion until you hit a fact. And that is all I ask. Sometimes the answer to a question is Yes, no, right, left, red, lavender…NOT “Well, since the Tri-Lateral Commission and the Skull & Bones Society have Taken over the Ownership of the major Networks…” That’s all, Pooch. Now, since you are witty and clever, keep making with the laughs! I, for one, love it.
Chats: I had no business there, since I am an Andy Rooney clas typist. And the content was of no interest to me either. I do find it interesting to talk to strangers. I talk to my wife at home and then from work on the phone. There is already a difference in just using the phone. You may say things a different way on the phone. There’s a few people I like but find somewhat easier to deal with on the phone than in person.
There’s quite a few people I have interesting discussions with, not so much here, that I would prefer never have to meet.
La Voce,
I get it!! Like when I called my Republican friend the other day (we are in Japan and I have CNN) and said, “Wow! Have you seen the news? The Russians are marching into Kosovo ahead of NATO as we speak.” He made a few brief comments on the topic at hand and then forcefully pointed out that the whole war was a Clinton PR campaign.
Since I didn’t take the bait, we just made plans to have a beer together.
I think it must be something in the water, because the Japanese just don’t have those sort of conversations. They still dig harmony.
For example, if the food at a restaraunt is particularly bad or the service is bad in some manner that might typically warrant a comment in America, the Japanese diner will simply not return. Unfortuneatly, at the dry cleaners where they turned a nice maroon shirt of mine in to a two tone pinkish nightmare, my Japanese wife resisted my efforts to go down there and raise hell. It was a what will be gained by it situation? She will just change dry cleaners.
Does this relate to this thread? I don’t know. But, this idea of asserting yourself and particularly all of ones ideas is out of whack in America. What we need, ladies and gentlemen, is balance. Or will we throw all our social skills out with the bath water?
There is no course of life so weak and sottish as that which is managed by order, method, and discipline. -Montaigne
Tea…Earl Grey…Hot