After the bruising battle for the top opinion blog in past years, our regulars have been planning to prepare for this year’s competition. However, I am sorry to report that as of this morning I have decided to shelve the plans for a Turley Blog Death Star. Due to these lean times of downsizing and layoffs, the Death Star is no longer financially practicable in light of the recent report by Lehigh students that the star will cost $852 quadrillion. With current revenue generation from advertisements at zero, we will have to focus on other methods of seeking a competitive edge against Volokh Conspiracy, Ann Althouse and the rest.
The students concluded that it would require 1.08 x 1015 metric tons of steel to build the Death Star (which we planned to call the Friendship Star for marketing purposes). Based on the world’s current output it would take 833,315 years to produce enough steel and $852,000,000,000,000,000. Of course, I cannot imagine a better jobs bill if Congress were to offer the blog federal assistance.
In the interim, I want to introduce our latest weekend guest editor:
Source: Lehigh Valley
id707,
“And that there have been off-line discussions on me. surprises me.
I wonder what the need was. And that I was not invited to join the discussion since it was my “fate” being discussed. But different rules for different places apply apparently.”
Actually there is quite an active ongoing email discussion about many topics that goes on offline. The conversation behind the blog so to speak. But you were a topic of discussion, not your fate. Had the situation gotten to that point, you would have been contacted via email and/or warned publicly. As I said though, that is a very rare occurence. It has only happened a couple of times in many years. The entire point of being so blunt with you about this was to avoid anyone wanting to or having to discuss “your fate”. Nobody wants you gone. Nobody thinks you’re a bad guy. It is simply that the evidence shows that your sense of when aggression is an appropriate response is not working properly. Verbal confrontation is like physical confrontation in many ways. Peaceful resolution is the preferred resolution, but that is not always possible. However, knowing when aggression is appropriate is as important (if not more important) than knowing how to be effective in using aggression to end a conflict. Just like in a physical confrontation, the effective use of verbal aggression to end a conflict requires that you use just enough force to stop things but not so much as to unnecessarily damage your oppoent and to avoid damaging yourself. It can be tricky. Because it can be tricky and you are manifestly having a problem with knowing when verbal confrontation is appropriate or required, that is why I advised you to consider simply not engaging in aggressive conversation. Every competent martial artist will tell you that walking away is always an option but even more so if you’re going to initiate. Again, if you don’t start trouble, then there won’t be trouble. It’s advice. Whether you take or not is up to you.
Woosty,
Of course…… Of course…..
ID707,
I do not understand….. But that’s OK…..I don’t need to….. As I said, your follower is here….. I am fairly direct….. When I want to say something to someone, I state by name….. If it’s a general statement I usually do not attach names to them…… (unless I am addressing Dredd before he posts which I have been known to do)……. As far as PRO Nouns go….. Some get paid for it the rest are just nasty….insults…. See, I addressed the predictive object…… Which can be used as a verb as well….
And to the master of computer capabilities…… One of the issues with windows7 is that it will (can) clone the same ip, if using the same router or hub….
AY,
Indeed! It wins my heart every time. And that was not pandering at you. Just truth as I see it.
SwM,
One version of one of my new rules Is.
“Wait until your name is heard twice, and then reply: “What?”.”
AY…..you know I was talking about chocolate…right?
idealist, I really see why you get the confused here. It is hard to distinguish where the arrows are pointed when pronouns are used without clarification. I think Mike A. gave excellent advise when he said that we don’t need to respond unless we are specifically addressed.
ID707,
Good luck, I’m not buying into what’s being sold today….. Your most loyal followers will be up soon….. You play with them…. You can pander to that market….. I acknowledge your apology…. And I will also offer…. I rarely forget…. But civility on blog will win out pert near every time…..
Woosty,
There is a theory going around that the right chocolate can actually help with weight loss….. I’m all for that… I am now going to search for my white chocolate, caramel coated cashews…….
iN sIDIOUS!
quick……………….come away from the dark side………………
there is such a thing as too much chocolate …
Mike S,
Have a safe journey….. Talk later…. Will be in your locale soon…..
No replies needed nor expected. That was not meant as looking for attention. Just my acknowledgement of where it was due.
Blouise, SwM. MikeS. MikeA
Thanks all. Enlightenment is great. Enabling is not. Good work.
Michael Murry,
You were one who dared call the kettles black. That took courage. It wasn’t your fight. Just as it wasn’t that of the folks mentioned above. Their courage is also considerable.
GeneH,
I thanked someone else some months ago for kicking me in the ass.
I won’t do it yet, because full understanding hasn’t been achieved by me yet.
But will agree with you and the original mentioner that enabling is of no use to the one being enabled who then avoids facing his problem.
And that there have been off-line discussions on me. surprises me.
I wonder what the need was. And that I was not invited to join the discussion since it was my “fate” being discussed. But different rules for different places apply apparently.
AY,
I “thought” that I was the victim of aggression, thus I was a victim in my
own eyes and responded as a victim with a return snark.
That you felt that I was an aggressor, is fully clear now.
I would offer an apology, but feel that greater rapport is needed before I could offer one and you would accept it. So will wait with that.
That you have investigated me with others who claim knowledge of me outside this blog is interesting. I have only spent time of American Everyman blog, so guess your contact was there. But like sockpuppets, what you refer to otherwise lies outside my frame of knowledge.
So if you continue writing to me, realize I’m not understanding you. if that should be your intent in writing.
Impatient, one fault, desire to get unpleasnt things behind me (another fault?), I roll down for hand bypassing all that was said after when I left and went to bed, I would like to inform all that Gene’s words have more than a little truth, but hopefully not all it is is true.
Made a spontaneously written list of test questions before I post.N
No promises. Let’s observe the result.
And if I have been accorded special consideration because of obvious social handicaps or my other obvious faults, that was nice. I will assume so for it is that type of society I wish to engage and learn about.
I will read it all from the beginning to sift out the useful kernels. Not, hopefully, to collect the barbs.
Later.
PS To AY. Peace be unto you. You were ahead of me weatherwise. Stockholm is white and cold again.
Have a good trip Mike.
—
Sorry Gene, tho I am oddly complimented by that. 🙂
Seconded. Be safe, Mike! We’ll keep the lights on for you.
Drive carefully Mike!
Dearth Star actually made me snort my hot chocolate, LK.
Thanks! 😛 🙂
ID707,
Although I must get to sleep the tenor of this thread bothers me. No one is going to ban you. However, a fair reading of this thread shows you as the aggressor vis AY. As is my wont let me supply you with a little personal history.
My father a large powerful man grew up in an era in NYC when a Jewish male had to stand up for himself by fighting. He was also a man who swaggered and took over any room he was in. As the younger son I adored my father and unconciously copied him. Part of his “wisdom” to me was that I had to always fight back at those who attacked me. I learned my lesson well and my school years were marked by endless fighting and endless terror for me since I was poor at fisticuffs.
Until I enterred therapy in my early 30’s I looked back at those years as a long history of victimization of poor little (6′ 200lbs) me. In the introspection caused by therapy and in the feedback from friends that I could finally take in, I came to the realization that my inherited swagger and cavalier disregard for others feelings brought much aggression down on me. I stopped seeing myself as a victim and grew up.
Now I’ve got a 1300 mile drive ahead of me and I’m off to bed. This started out as a funny thread. Lets return there.