OT seems nicer lately
 

Seems to me the level of aggressiveness and personal attacks have subsided significantly lately. It wasn´t that bad before, it is just that it appears better these days.

Or is it just me ? If not, have we all turned collectively more benevolent and accepting or has it to do with global warming or something ?

In any case, IMO, OT seems refreshed and a nicer place to be the last months.

Rodeo is gone. I say that not to be mean or spiteful toward him, but the guy was a lightning rod. His over-emotional reactions to everything turned every thread he touched into a ****storm.

My bet is still that he took a job with one of the newly elected Dem Congressmen.

Anyway, I noticed the more civil atmosphere a couple weeks ago and it dawned on me then that he was gone.

I imagine he feels better too, that degree of anger and stress isn't good for anyone.

Fuch you Mr. Poopy Head.

Better? :D

The tide of OT anger ebbs and flows, and strangely coincides with the American elections. Give it, oh maybe a year, then be prepared to hit the deck.

PISS OFF YOU WANKERS!!!


:D

I find the annoyance level directly proportional to the size of my ignore list.

DAMN IT! YOU STOLE MY LINE! :mad: :mad: :mad:

;) :D :D :D

Ignore lists are for pussies.

Better? Did I make your list?

I'm short , bald and handicapped. You really think being called a pussy by a miscreant like you is going to bother me?:p

Agreed. Same goes for mulhollandoes/tres/whatever, fintstone, fastpat, mule, rodeo and one or two other meatballs that can't ever participate in a thread without it being about some highly-polarizing political issue (they're called "trolls"). A couple got banned I think - a couple others have realized not enough troll-feeders are here to make it worth their while. Maybe they've discovered the joys of Internet porn. Who knows?

I agree though, it is a lot nicer around here lately. Hopefully it stays that way, but I imagine the impending 2008 campaign and election will draw the dregs up from the bottom once again. Or maybe here (and in society at large) people will largely be so sick of the politically-motivated infighting and prefer to just get along and keep their political opinions to themselves, as well they probably should to begin with.

But I won't hold my breath. People suck and usually let you down, given the chance.

This one's easy - it's because the Democrats are in control now :)

I hate everyone.

I for one, could not resist getting nasty with Rodeo. He might be the sole person on PPOT that I probably would not get along with in person.
That said, I think there has just not been enough US or world catastrophies or political scandals going on lately to get everyones panties in a bunch. Iraq is still an issue, but I think most are tiring or getting bored of re-hashing the same old points with the same people day after day after day.

I find it is much easier to deal with politics when you acknowledge the fact that ALL politicians are crooks, and basically suck in a big way.

My OT New Year's Resolution should be to quit arguing with Pat. Perhaps I'll take up beating my head against the wall instead?

Not to pile on Rodeo, but I also have noticed the civility on the board which strangely has coincided with his absence. Coincidence? Maybe.

Also, I think that our founding fathers again show their brilliance with how they set our country up. Elections every 2 years are cathartic. We have a huge run up where everyone gets all excited and gets all their political vitriol out on the table, then there is an election and everyone feels better for a while. There is a sense of change, that this time might be different (although it never is).

Give it another year and people will be *****ing and moaning again up until the 2008 elections.

I started here on the 924/944/968 board asking (gasp) technical questions about my car. Then one day I visited the dark vortex of PPOT and my downward spiral began.

But seriously, a few years back the political and religious threads were almost non existent here, then suddenly they seemed to take over the board. There is a reason for that old saying "don't discuss politic or religion at parties" because it evokes some very strong emotions and corresponding reactions in certain people. Add to that the Internet where you can safely say all kinds of rude and nasty things to someone you disagree with and it is like trowing gasoline on fire.

Don't get me wrong I enjoy a good discussion about political and religious ideas however if you can't be civil and not interact with people you disagree with without resorting to childish name calling you might as well stay out of the debate because you are not going to change anyones opinion with such tactics.

I forgot to mention.


YOU ARE ALL A BUNCH OF PHAGS!

The only reason it "seems nicer" is that most of the few informed social liberals that attend here have long given up trying to influence the neo-whatever conservative circle jerk that goes on whenever anything even quasi-political hits the agenda.

The rabidity and voraciousness of the attack that gets launched upon anything vaguely "different" by the narrow/single-minded majority here is reminiscent of a bunch of 10 year olds in a school playground. Fastpat's excellent, refreshing take on the roles of government in our world (spanning/eclipsing liberal/conservative dogma) is (and the reaction there to) an excellent example.

This place is absolutely hilarious - the chats here should be kept in safe-keeping for future study by sociologists/anthropologists looking into the evolution/extinction of the last of the American dinosaurs - the high-earning, church-going, gun-toting, white-breading, middle-aged male.

..man I hope I don't have to ramp-down this niceness factor all on my own!

Come on people - up with the angst already!

Please see the aforementioned statement regarding trolls.:rolleyes:

Oh, and I hate you all. Myself included.

You're my kind of ******* assshole. :D

I miss red_ufo

tabs has new medicine... he's all "glass is half full" now
and he caved and got himself an avatar again

:D

While I have had my moments on PPOT with others with whom I disagree, I have always felt we would be fast friends if we ever meet in real life. With these folks, while they hold a (sometimes vastly) different perspective than mine, I always feel like I'm discussing the topic at hand with an intelligent, well-meaning individual that honestly holds to their beliefs and can explain them rationally.

I simply never got that feeling from Rodeo. He was here for one purpose and for one purpose only, to troll. I cannot understand people that participate in any discourse or forum to make enemies; either by design or by habit. Things are certainly better around here without him. My only fear is that wherever he is now, things have gotten that much worse and, if you guys are right that he may have gotten a job in our new Congress, that simply compounds my fears. Oh well; maybe he is just a paige, and the Dems actually follow through on their text messages. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Nicer? It must be the moderating effect of all of those Europeans.

see, we are good for something after all !

I think we would all get along in person, because nobody would be stupid enough to bring up politics or war.

Beer, boobies, cars, sports...that's what's important.

could you EVEN VISUALIZE a yearly party held in different parts of the country each year???????

what a hoot that would be! a few hundred guys all showing up w/flame suits on! hahahahahaha!

i'm glad you're all enjoying the acid i put in your water. just don't mind the pretty colors...

I think the Internet Prozac is kicking in...

LOL ,and thought i was having proper flashbacks lately...

What happened to Rodeo? He get banned or just run off?

Everyone seems to be piling on Rodeo, but from my perspective, things began heading south several years ago around the time of the appearance of Mul1 (but I'm NOT blaming him for it). Before you know it, BOTH sides were contributing equally much to the degradation of PPOT imo. This is a nice change....well, at least until the next elections roll around :)

Don't look now Markus, it's starting to happen again...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/324438-its-becoming-more-clear-what-democratic-strategy-now.html

Next time you must say knock on wood (and this has nothing to do with your feelings about the grid girls).

Art, while that thread is political in nature, it is no where near what we had just a few months ago. Heck I don't think a single poster has resorted to the usual name calling and such that we saw in 2006.

Some of you guys have not been around here very long, or have short memories. The most heated discourse on this board that I recall was immediately after 9/11, (when emotions were at a fever pitch), and during several other lightning rod type events such as Reagan's death. The '04 presidential election was about a year-long mud-slinging affair.

I have a different theory, which is that both sides of the political spectrum are simply worn down by the current administration. People who voted for Bush and supported him have little or nothing left to defend or hang on to, and the rest of us are also resigned and all out of anger. I believe firmly that this decade has been an unqualified disaster for the world precipitated by the (strange) election of a dangerous, empty suit as U.S. president, but it is what it is and I cannot let it ruin my days. The planet will recover, or it won't; either way I won't be around more than another 20 or 30 years and I wisely did not have children.

Steve Rodeo is a great guy, and he gets along just fine w/ people in the world. For whatever reason, he was not well-suited to the kind of jousting that occurs here. He saw bullies and ass holes where they did not always exist, (and sometimes where they did, IMO), and became spring-loaded on line. I am as hot-headed as they come, on earth as well as the web, but I know that about myself and can recognize when I have gone over the line or let someone get my goat too easily. I also have the advantage of being what the late, great Mulholland called being a "hybrid", I pride myself as not being pigeon left or right on issues. This allows me to find more common ground w/ most people here, but I can't stand ideologues of any stripe. I was raised by them.

BTW, I think that Mulholland also was easily baited, and definitely got too sucked into arguments here. Both Mulholland and Rodeo are extremely nice people in the real world. Mul is a bit eccentric, but I'm nuttier than a squirrel turd myself so I shouldn't talk.:)

There are a few people that I don't care for here, and vice-versa I'm sure, but w/o that proverbial "nuance" that is missing in written words there can be a lot of missed cues and the web-savvy amongst us know how to not let things get too personal. It pains me when I see some of the animosity, but that is the nature of bar rooms. And this is our "Cheers". SmileWavy

Norm!!!!

I hate the fact that you hate yourself! You need to:

1. Get some medication (or not)
2. Get some counseling (or not)
3. Get religion (or not)
4. Get laid (or not)
5. Get drunk (or not)
6. Change your political position (or not)