bigvalboy

Hmmmm....

To everyone here who made this short journey in my life memorable or more enriching...I thank you. "Time of your life" Another Turning Point, A fork stuck in the road Time grabs you by the wrist, Directs you where to go So make the best of this test, And don't ask why It's not a question, But a lesson learned in time [Chorus] It's something unpredictable But in the end it's right I hope you had the time of your life [Verse 2] So take the photographs, And still frames in your mind Hang them on a shelf, In good health and good time Tattoos of memories, And dead skin on trial For what it's worth, It was worth all the while [Chorus] It's something unpredictable But in the end it's right I hope you had the time of your life It's something unpredictable But in the end it's right I hope you had the time of your life It's something unpredictable But in the end it's right I hope you had the time of your life

Political correctness aside: I can't speak for Oliver or Epigonos, nor do I know why they have the feeling that if the party is over, then so be it. I will say that in speaking with several members over the last several days, that seems to be a common thread, myself included. My thoughts? The list is far too long of those that have come here and posted and enriched my life, and you Steven would certainly be at the top of that list. Oh yes, we've had our outs, but you're pretty damn smart for an ignorant whore. I will always admire your contributions here and to the world. I have met some wonderful friends here, many will be lifelong. I have learned more on this forum, than most could imagine, but it has never felt like a community to me, never. There has always been a disconnect between those that post here and those that run the place. At every turn, in private messages, emails, phone calls, over a meal or casual conversation, everyone always seemed to be walking on eggshells, afraid to cross the "powers that be,". It wears on you over time, it was tiresome, so when someone asked me the other day, "What do you think will happen to the forum?" My reaction was similar to your friends. Last week something changed. Can't put my finger on it really, but you could feel things unraveling. Does that translate into what your friends were talking about, I don't know, but I wouldn't be so quick to put blame on anyone who doesn't want to fight for this place. Everyone here is different, they come here for different reasons, and stay for different reasons, I just don't see the the PR&W forum surviving under the guidelines being proposed. Politics is too personal, too emotional, too divisive, too partisan in this climate. Anyway, that's all I got. I'll be here until I log on one day and I get the message. "You've been banned for the following reasons" Then I'll quietly exit stage left, and my life will go on as it did before. Cheers to all those that make this place so special. You know who you are.

FWIW...If anyone is still interested, Jasxxthanatos is back in Fort Lauderdale, and was spotted bar-tending at the Alibi. He looks better than ever...

FWIW...I understand the privacy issue, but I've always felt that it would be helpful to other members when we are notified that a poster has been banned for violation of the TOS. Especially in the case of a poster who is attacking or harassing other members. Doing it publicly would also put other offenders on notice that the Grinch is lurking...

As Cooper mentioned up-thread, I believe that's how it is now. Only the person being attacked can submit a "report, if I'm understanding you correctly. I always felt that was a bad idea, because as several members have mentioned, they will never report an offending post when they are being attacked, which allows the troll behavior to continue, even as other posters recognize the problem. I think if anyone is allowed to report trolling, stalking, or harassment, then perhaps admin can correct the problem sooner. I agree however that this would put an additional burden on the moderators, so perhaps adding another moderator to help out would be a good idea...

On a side note: I vote @Lookin as a alternate or backup moderator...If one is needed. On more than one occasion, his consistent sense of fairness and even temperament has brought calm to an otherwise contentious pile up.

That was freaking amazing!!

OK...lol I "liked" your post, but I disagree with your assessment of the use of the "like" button. I think the "like" button is a valuable tool. All of us use it for different reasons. For myself, I will like a post for the obvious reasons. Yes, sometimes it is to validate and be on record for agreeing with a posters point of view, but more often than not, the like is for different reasons. There are conservative members who I might disagree with, but I will like their post as an acknowledgement that they have presented a good point of view. I will also like a post to express appreciation for a well thought out argument or research. I will do that with @stevenkesslar sometimes or with @Lookin, or @quoththeraven because very often the research or information that goes into their post is worth noting. And lastly, sometimes I will like multiple posts in the middle of a debate in the political forum. If a poster or posters are making a case in the middle of a heated debate in the political forum, better than I am able to do, then I will like a post instead of jumping into the fray. And sometimes I just enjoy watching the debate. It's not necessary to participate in every thread. I don't see the point of repeating the thoughts of someone that I already completely agree with and who is presenting the point better than I could. So my vote would be to keep the like button. AND... for the love of God, how do you not have a like button in the gallery? I have made friends here, good friends, some will be life-long. Some, because of logistics, will be good friends in this cyber community on the forum. So I hope the political forum returns, and I hope that this was a good learning experience for everyone, and I hope that the members who chose to leave, will re-think that decision and come back. I have learned more on this forum than I could have almost anywhere else.

Early on in this thread Deej posted this: I believe this to be accurate. "I do know that anyone trying to alter basic human nature is doomed to fail. I’ve been online since before there was an internet. This behavior (and SPAM) have always been with us and likely always will be." There will always be by some on message forums, troll behavior, a lack of civility, disrespect, and a disregard for the viewpoints of others. That is a fact. Most can change, but some will not. Perhaps what is needed is a Political forum that is by invitation only. Early on in the day when the Political forum had first been shut down, I got a couple of calls from forum members who weren't aware of what was going on. They were concerned that they were unable to post in the political forum, but seemed to be able to post elsewhere. They assumed that they had done something wrong, but couldn't figure out what. I logged on and realized what had happened. They were much relieved that they had not been singled out. Perhaps what is needed, is a PR&W forum that is by invitation only. Everyone would be allowed to post at first, but misbehavior, with a couple of warnings, would get you temporarily banned from that particular forum only, not the rest of the site. If they choose to post elsewhere, and continue they're disruption, then a ban from the whole site would of course be in order. I've also always felt that banning someone without the rest of the forum knowing what is going on lacks transparency, and shrouds the offense in mystery. Perhaps when the offender is in violation, admin could remove the offending post, and post in red letters that the member is in violation of forum decorum, and further violations will result in temporary or permanent banishment. This was done recently, and it seemed effective. I also realize that his might mean more moderation, more work for the administrators, and that might present a problem... My 2 cents. There will always be offenders on the Internet, there will always be trolls, just look at Twitter, it's a cesspool, but keeping those offenders in check, would greatly enhance the experience on the site.

That was hilarious Gman...have a great Thanksgiving.

My favorite...For obvious reasons

I love Lookin's optimism and I liked his idea, but I'm more skeptical, and I see the problem a little more simply. I don't think the problem was about being conservative or liberal, or our tolerance for either, but it was about trolling. Two members clearly came on to troll the board. I don't give two fucks about Avalon's political views, he's entitled to them and entitled to express them. I never put him on ignore, but I did choose not to respond to him. If others who were so bothered by his seemingly endless threads and apparent racist views, then they should have stopped posting on every single thread that he started. If you can't exhibit some self control, and your not aware enough to realize that your being trolled, and that you are not going to change the views of posters like Avalon, then don't be surprised when your participation encourages more trolling behavior, and certainly don't complain about their participation here. I think Admin made this about liberal and conservative, but I saw it as someone who logged on with the sole purpose to disrupt, and I think admin was divisive, intolerant of posters who were complaining, and took far too long to address the issue. Some posters have left for the other site, which is a joke and seriously not a solution, some posters left permanently, and some have clearly stuck it out, but damage has been done, that is a fact. Perhaps this is merely a bump in the road, certainly admin has had to banish disruptive posters before, so time will tell, and maybe thoughtful and prolific posters like Moondance will reconsider their decision to leave. My Two Cents...

Very clever!!

I think it depends. If you are an out-of-towner and someone insisted that you stay with them, like my relatives always do, then I would think that you certainly have some say as to what is on the television. I might be a guest, but if the invite was the hosts idea, and they refused to let me go to a hotel, then there isn't anyway that I would sit and watch FOX news, not without a protest. That said, this year we were forced to evacuate because of the hurricanes. We were invited to a friends home several hundred miles north. I was grateful for the gracious gesture, and with a car stuffed with personal belongings, my friend and his dog, we arrived just after midnight, exhausted from being in 9 hours of bumper to bumper traffic, stressed because we had left everything behind, and anxious because we didn't know what we would return to. The door opened to warm greetings, a full meal was served, and food just kept coming out of the kitchen. I had my own room with fresh linens, so I sat quietly watching FOX news for the rest of the evening before retiring to my room for the night. For the next three days, I bit my tongue and was the perfect guest. It was the hardest three days of my life...

Yes, but he returns shortly.

Thank you...Then I wish that he is safe and out of harms way.

And Kenny and Miamilooker...

HOT!

lol... I totally get it, and you won't get an argument from me.

lol...Exactly. The on/off pins have to be changed as well. It seems so simple, but for some reason every year I change the dial thinking that I've corrected the time, but I forget the pins need to be adjusted also, and that's the problem, it takes several attempts to get everything how I like it. I still have two zones that are going on too late, and one zone that won't go off at the right time. I know I'm a little anal, but basically want everything to turn on and off at the same time. Making another adjustment today. Ugh!!

Still a favorite to some...

Unfortunately my controllers look like this: They're all hardwired into the building running through conduit. I tried the electronic ones and the remote control ones, but we have so much rain here in FTL, that the receivers (despite being water proof) kept getting wet and shorting out. The ones in the front are all run through transformers, and those work great also but are a pain to program. All of this is fine except twice a year when the time changes...

HOW TO WIPE YOUR BUTT (Posting for a friend) http://howtowipeyourbutt.com/