My Final Warning

[Green Ice]

Ben, I am disappointed that you aren't interested in positive participation but only word games. Perhaps the Whine and Cheese section would be more to your liking.

Ice

 

[Ben Arown-Awile]

The appreciation of my posting style is an acquired taste, like Wasabi. It might burn a little on the way down.
Some people can't stand that.
Others enjoy it.

 

[Green Ice]

I have nothing else to say to you Ben.

Ice

 

[Yvsa]

The appreciation of my posting style is an acquired taste, like Wasabi. It might burn a little on the way down.
Some people can't stand that.
Others enjoy it.

Once in a great while Ben will come out with something truly momentous (Of utmost importance; of outstanding significance or consequence) which always surprises me, but the majority of the time Ben is an azzhole who disrupts the family feeling we have here that the majority of us come here for which totally negates his posts of momentous import.
With that said I have to agree with Josh that Ben comes across as a total dick in his posts the majority of the time.

 

[roughedges]

mmmm... wasabi. I think I'm eating japanese (food that is) tonight.

now, my opinion pretty well counts for jack here, I know it. But here it is anyways. The only post of yours, Ben, that got my back up was something that seemed totally uncalled for in the given situation and made reference to slave days. Like I said, it seemed uncalled for- but thats just my opinion.

I guess one of the major problems in a public forum on the internet is how easy it is to misunderstand the nature or tone of someones post. I'd hope that this all is just one extreme example of that. I like to think that your posts are made with the humor of a slightly abrasive old timer and not made just to get a rise out of people.

 

[Ben Arown-Awile]

.. I like to think that your posts are made with the humor of a slightly abrasive old timer and not made just to get a rise out of people...

If I wanted to get a rise out of people I would loose a hundred pounds, have a sex change operation, change my name to Lulu, and post pictures on the Sexy Senior Swingers forum.

 

[Jebadiah_Smith]

The appreciation of my posting style is an acquired taste, like Wasabi. It might burn a little on the way down.
Some people can't stand that.
Others enjoy it.

Rusty was wrong with his pissing in lemonade analogy.

You're pissing in the whole pool.

 

[DannyinJapan]

I took someones' advice recently and bought myself some woodcarving tools.
It works! It really does.
I carved out a new handle for my katana and it just totally took all of my frustrations away.
Sabbaticals are sometimes necessary for the mind.

 

[Svashtar]

The appreciation of my posting style is an acquired taste, like Wasabi. It might burn a little on the way down.
Some people can't stand that.
Others enjoy it.

Ben, I have to say I _don't_ think you are a troll, and about half the time I think your posts are both cynical and very funny, which I can appreciate as I am fairly cynical myself, and often offer up examples of my humor which are not always fully appreciated for their inherent brilliance by others, for some strange reason. (?) <Sigh!> (-: I also think there is a certain element of an unfair "piling on" here which I am trying to avoid and hope others will try to do as well.

However, the expression "pissing in everyone's lemonade" IS pretty darn accurate, and I'd be hard pressed to find a better one.

I think people could eventually grow to appreciate your acerbic sense of humor if you just gave it a rest sometimes, and didn't always seem like you were out to crap all over everything and every opinion other forumites happened to offer up.

Sure, it's probably a boat load of fun to be clever and find put downs and poke holes in everyone else's balloons, but pretty soon the kids with all the old strings dragging on the ground with tattered balloon fragments attached are going to get pissed and start pleading with their big brother Rusty to come over and kick your a$$ out of the party and tell you not to come around anymore.

It would be nice just for the overall spirit of the Cantina if it didn't ever come to that, don't you think?

Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong...

Regards,

Norm

 

[Ben Arown-Awile]

...Ben comes across as a total dick..

Some times I reminisce about the old days when I was just a "jerk" and what a struggle it was to make it to "halfassed". But once I got going and made it to "azzhole", I didn't have far to go to make it to "total dick".

 

[Ben Arown-Awile]

..Sweet is showing off his nicely blued and Ferrous etched Seax blade, and you have to s^%t all over it. Keith's careful etching work is "graffiti?" What's up with that?

Norm,
That was not a disparaging remark aimed at Sweet's knife. That is obviously a beautiful piece of work. The "graffiti" remark was about the Kami marks. The Kamis themselves consider it graffiti and don't understand why Westerners want such stuff on their blades, but they put it on because Bill tells them we want it and it will help them sell more knives. The same thing goes for highly polished blades. They think this is crazy, but they go along with it because Americans want that.

 

[Yvsa]

Some times I reminisce about the old days when I was just a "jerk" and what a struggle it was to make it to "halfassed". But once I got going and made it to "azzhole", I didn't have far to go to make it to "total dick".

This is one of those momentous occasions. Ben has indeed told it like it is instead of pissing in the pool.
The hell of it is if there were an AA for dicks they would never go. Dicks never change their ways once they have reached the degree of dickhood that Ben has reached.

I will miss Ben when he is gone. I had the hemorhoids once, I miss them too.

 

[Svashtar]

Norm,
That was not a disparaging remark aimed at Sweet's knife. That is obviously a beautiful piece of work. The "graffiti" remark was about the Kami marks. The Kamis themselves consider it graffiti and don't understand why Westerners want such stuff on their blades, but they put it on because Bill tells them we want it and it will help them sell more knives. The same thing goes for highly polished blades. They think this is crazy, but they go along with it because Americans want that.

Then I stand corrected Ben. In that case I have to agree with you. I like the little stylized "HI" in native script at the top bend of each blade, but the Kami's crooked stamped initials do look cheap, and graffiti is as good a name as any.

However, I do think that the main thrust of my posting is still accurate though, and hope that you will choose to stick around.

Regards,

Norm

P.S. I am also going to amend the above posting to remove the link and reference to it; were someone to only read that far they would take my incorrect interpretation of your remarks as fact.

N.

 

[Dave Rishar]

I took someones' advice recently and bought myself some woodcarving tools.
It works! It really does.
I carved out a new handle for my katana and it just totally took all of my frustrations away.
Sabbaticals are sometimes necessary for the mind.

I still swear by destroying lawn furniture. I would probably give the "other" version of woodworking a try, had I the patience for it.

 

[munk]

Ben,

I wrote you a long post and wiped the screen clean. A couple months ago you'd found your groove. You were happy. Your posts were funny and occasionally brilliant. Those stories you told were marvelous. Your jokes were geniunely funny, not bitter. And we liked you. You were still throwing out monkey wrenches, still raising wild ideas and points, no one took your freedom away; but you had it all, you were yourself and at home.

In the recent past you've returned to the old ben.

Why?


munk

 

[Daniel Koster]

I've got the popcorn already in the microwave.....



(looking for a lounge chair....)

 

[Kismet]

a number of years ago, I put a matching ad in one of the local freebie papers...figuring....well, nevermind.

It read:

"Iconoclastic, reclusive curmudgeon seeks 40s-50s female with cleaning fetish and no need to chatter."

Only got one response from (god love her) a person who said she liked "icons" too.


There's room for all of us, mostly, eh?

 

[Lion's Roar]

Good idea with the popcorn.. think I'll make some hotdogs and get a cold one.

Kis, good post as always.

 

[Ben Arown-Awile]

...In the recent past you've returned to the old ben.
Why?

It's the law of the Universe.
Sometimes known as Cycles of Harmony, or the Divine Ebb and Flow.
Or maybe it's that damned ingrown toenail.

 

[Ben Arown-Awile]

...I do think that the main thrust of my posting is still accurate though, and hope that you will choose to stick around...

I'm not going anywhere. But as far as your post being accurate, I don't judge that, but I don't take issue with it either. I don't take issue with anything said about me. You will have a hard time finding a serious defensive post by me. I don't feel any need to respond with ego driven defenses to unfavorable opinions.

One thing you will NEVER find is a post where I attacked someone personally or called anyone a name. I never post from a "knee jerk" or emotional "cheap shot" position. I consider name calling and personal attacks a lower form of activity and, truthfully, I hold myself to higher standards.

I use irony, satire, cynicism, humor, and just plain off-the-wall nonsense, but I respect everyone's humanity and I would never do anything to humiliate or degrade. To do so would violate my code of ethics and only degrade myself.