Wild Card/Blogfest Day Minus 1

94 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

• 

  MamaJD on February 27 at 10:19 a.m.

  So what does the RSVP list look like, DFO? Who has committed to coming?

• 

  DFO on February 27 at 10:31 a.m.

  MamaJD; I have no idea who’s coming. I never do prior to the event itself. Several regulars have said they’d be no-shows, including Cis (who’s off with a handsome man), Toadman, OrangeTV (working), and Joan Harman (working).

• 

  nic on February 27 at 10:49 a.m.

  ‘Twas the day before Blogfest ‘09 and all through the house
  Shall we not be expecting exiled Anymouse
  With Bob in the cooler and Thom M.I.A.
  We’re anticipating a dull and dry day

• 

  Arch_Druid on February 27 at 10:51 a.m.

  Kind of nice that James Dobson has resigned from that religious activist group mentioned. Maybe now they’ll start getting a grip on reality?

• 

  Cabbage Boy on February 27 at 10:53 a.m.

  Wow, I didn’t realize that Thom and Sisyphus were MIA too. Been kinda quite from the left bank. Are they trying to boycott?

• 

  Liz on February 27 at 10:55 a.m.

  I am speechless. TOILET PAPER??? whilst it makes sense, I would be very interested to know just what exactly Greenpeace is proposing as a solution????OK, so you don’t buy the premium stuff, but you still gotta use SOMETHING, no?
  for the interested: I buy cases of Kirkland brand.

• 

  Kage_Mann on February 27 at 10:58 a.m.

  Focus on the family. Yea, it’s been all down hill for the guy who interviewed Bundy, so society could see how people like him operate. (((sarcasm))).

• 

  Cabbage Boy on February 27 at 11:03 a.m.

  “America’s taste for soft toilet paper causes more damage than driving Hummers”

  Hopefully that was their line and not Daves. Taste for TP? A friend that did daycare for some mentally disabled kids had to hid the TP cause they would eat it, but other than that, I don’t get that line.

  As far as damage? I think the “industrial quality” TP is much more “damaging” than the Charmin.

• 

  Cabbage Boy on February 27 at 11:04 a.m.

  If Greenpeace didn’t keep publishing this crap, our dependence on TP would obviously decrease.

• 

  Kage_Mann on February 27 at 11:11 a.m.

  Cheryl Crow said;that we should be able to use only 2 squares of toilet paper per trip to the bathroom. Good Luck,with that idea Tarp lady.

• 

  JeanieSpokane on February 27 at 11:25 a.m.

  “Cheryl Crow said;that we should be able to use only 2 squares of toilet paper per trip to the bathroom. ”

  I vividly remember my Dad lining the four of us kids up in the bathroom and showing us exactly that - two (2) squares. No more. No less. And then he saluted us and left us standing there. All these years later, I still can’t use only two squares. But I don’t buy Charmin either.

• 

  toadman on February 27 at 11:28 a.m.

  Oh man, I gotta have soft toilet paper. I’ve got a very sensitive bum. Sorry Greenpeace…

  DOWN WITH HUMMERS! UP WITH TP!!!

• 

  Arch_Druid on February 27 at 11:30 a.m.

  Charmin is way to spendy for what it is worth. Mom buys cases of Kirkland too.

• 

  clerkofthecity on February 27 at 11:31 a.m.

  Twas the Night before Blogfest Poem
  
  Twas the night before Blogfest, when all through the house
  Not a blogger was stirring, not using his mouse.
  The blog lists were hung by the computer with care,
  In hopes that DFO soon would be there.

  The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
  While visions of U-tube danced in their heads.
  And mamma on her ‘bluetooth, and I on my laptop,
  Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

  When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
  I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
  Away to the window I flew like a flash,
  Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

  The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
  Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
  When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
  But a mighty blogger, and eight website peers.

  This little old blogger, so witty but slow,
  I knew in a moment it must be DFO.
  More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
  And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

  “Now JBelle! now, Stickman! now, nic and MikeK!
  On, Idawa! On, JeanieSpokane! on Aliasjax and mamajd!
  To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
  Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

  As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
  When they heard from a Caver, the fur it did fly.
  So to their lap-tops the coursers they flew,
  With the blogs full of ploy, and some ribbing too.

  And then, in a twinkling, the great night had arrived
  The tapping and patting oh Moon Dollar was alive.
  As I drew in some beer, and was turning around,
  Down the aisle DFO came with a bound.

  He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
  And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
  A bundle of wild card blogs he had flung on his lap,
  And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

  His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
  His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
  His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
  And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

  The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
  And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
  He had a broad face and a little round belly,
  That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

  He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
  And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
  A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
  Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

  He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
  And typed all the blogs, then turned with a jerk.
  And laying his fingers aside from his prose,
  And giving a nod, out of his chair he rose!

  He sprang to his car, to his team gave a whistle,
  And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
  But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
  “Happy Blogging to all, and to all a good-night!”

• 

  Frum Helen Back on February 27 at 12:44 p.m.

  I just read Marmie’s blog. Did Bob really get banned from HBO?
  I never know when to believe him.

• 

  Frum Helen Back on February 27 at 12:47 p.m.

  I would like to suggest that Greenpeace should grow more forests.

• 

  DFO on February 27 at 1:25 p.m.

  Frum Helen Back; Bob is in the cooler and will remain there for the foreseeable future. His calling me an a$$hole and bringing Marmitetoasty into this hasn’t helped his cause (see: 00:12 2/26 post in the comments section here: http://marmitetoasty.blogspot.com/2009/02/it-cant-be-2nd-blob-birthdayso-lets.html)

• 

  DFO on February 27 at 1:53 p.m.

  Kage; I’m really not looking for a discussion re: my 1:25 p.m. post. I simply was responding to a question raised by Frum Helen Back. I believe I owed an explanation re: why Bob hasn’t been around for the last two weeks. That’s why I killed your subsequent post.

• 

  moscow_minidoka on February 27 at 1:56 p.m.

  I’m not a member of the so-called “left bank” (although I’ve been accused of that by DFO because of my problems with Fischer and the IVA and their ilk), but I really miss Bob.

  DFO, I really don’t know the specifics, nor do I want to know them, but you’ve been coming off as really thin-skinned the past month or so. Kage_Mann gets to call you a liar on your own blog and you do nothing but “love the big lug,” yet Bob - one of the most entertaining commenters here - is thrown in the cooler? Sisyphus has been driven off, which is a loss to all of us. From my viewpoint, you seem to be driving off the intelligent “left-bankers”, but embracing people like Kage_Mann. Where’s the justice?

  This blog is much less interesting without the give and take. I’m not suggesting you ban Kage_Mann - rather, I *am* suggesting you free Bob and avoid being seen as a hypocrite.

  What are we supposed to think? It’s ok to insult you if you’re Kage_Mann, but not if you’re Bob?

• 

  Cabbage Boy on February 27 at 2:07 p.m.

  DFO, if you care to elaborate, where have Thom and Sys gone?

• 

  DFO on February 27 at 2:09 p.m.

  Moscow Minidoka; it is really this simple. I have been trying to rein this blog in for months, mebbe since last fall. It isn’t about liberal-conservative. It’s about insults. It’s about regular commenters being driven away from here by inflammatory comments. I deal with individuals off-blog who have been hurt by things in my comments section. I no longer can live with that. You see only a fraction of what I deal with. Frankly, as an individual working in a dying industry and waiting for the next shoe to fall re: layoffs at the SR, I don’t need the stress of dealing with an inflamed comments section here. You see this blog as being less interesting without the give and take. I see it as being more informative. You can now have a discussion without individuals driving threads sideways all the time. I want this blog to become a community forum rather than an ideological free-for-all. BTW, Kage doesn’t get a free pass on insults. He, too, will live by the kinder, gentler rules of HBO.

• 

  DFO on February 27 at 2:12 p.m.

  Cabbage Boy; ThomG & Sisyphus have been hanging out at Betsy Russell’s Eye On Boise. Neither were thrown in the cooler.

• 

  JeanieSpokane on February 27 at 2:32 p.m.

  Good job, Clerk! I’m glad DFO front paged it. :)

• 

  hmoffsuite on February 27 at 4:08 p.m.

  DFO. I think you have managed the board very well. When I entered the room last summer, I brought my conservative views to the blog when there were few. I got into scraps with Thom, Sis and plenty more but learned (by coaching) to keep the discussion at an intellectual level. Adult conversation. No personal insults. I didn’t respond directly to any of Bob’s posts for a couple of weeks as I simply didn’t want to ignite anything. I miss them all, really. Maybe it wasn’t as easy to dominate the political discussion when some of us more conservative thinkers got involved. :~)

• 

  Frum Helen Back on February 27 at 5:40 p.m.

  I’m sad. I guess this means I won’t see Bob, Thom G, and Sysyfus at the Blogfest.

• 

  Sisyphus on February 27 at 5:41 p.m.

  The kinder gentler rules seem to get relaxed to allow personal harmful attacks where the moderator wishes them directed. While not directed at me, they certainly could have been directed at any of us. You may feel justified but two wrongs don’t make it right. If you got an issue with Bob, deal with Bob. If you got an issue with Thom, deal with Thom. But duplicity is the worst most odious kind of betrayal. Its left a very bad taste in my mouth. If it goes away maybe I’ll be back.

  In the meantime I hope everyone has a very good time tomorrow. There are so many I look forward to meeting.

• 

  Walkabout on February 27 at 6:10 p.m.

  FHB: I think you might see Bob, it’s one of the reasons I am going. Besides seeing all of the bloggers I have come to respect and like very much. Like you.

• 

  Walkabout on February 27 at 6:20 p.m.

  The comment left by Walkabout is from me. My computer messes with me at times, but I don’t mind. Walkabout is my wife, sometimes referred to as “The Pooh Fairie”. If an explanation is in order, ask me about it tomorrow. But only If you dare to come to something that might reveal your true self.

• 

  Walkabout on February 27 at 6:22 p.m.

  MamaJD: I hope you will be there, as I need my 15 minutes of fame with you, as always. The Stickman

• 

  florined on February 27 at 6:28 p.m.

  Sisyphus, I, for one, sorely miss your input here.

• 

  Stickman on February 27 at 6:35 p.m.

  Sis: I do also, and hope to see you someday at “Sticks and Stones”.

• 

  Stickman on February 27 at 6:37 p.m.

  Bob will be there, if that’s the only reason you might come. I come for all of the bloggers that have commented here over the years. I hope to see you there.

• 

  Bent on February 27 at 6:56 p.m.

  Sis, for what its worth, I think you and Thom ought to come back as well. And despite the comment Bob left on Marmite’s Blog, I think in the spirit of Blogfest, DFO should invite Bob back, and Thawtful as well. Afterall, we have all seen *others* do the same thing on Open CDA…

  /Just sayin’

  Blogfest with Blog family in the cooler is like trying to enjoy Christmas morning with all kids grounded to their rooms…

• 

  Stickman on February 27 at 7:09 p.m.

  And of course, I look forward to seeing Bent again. As always.

• 

  Bent on February 27 at 7:13 p.m.

  Likewise Stickman…

• 

  keithincda on February 27 at 8:09 p.m.

  From my inbox:
  “Heya Keith,

  Can you post the following on HBO tonight since I can’t and I don’t want people showing up just to meet me. Thanks and I owe you one:

  “I really wanted to show up tomorrow and help celebrate 5 years of what has been, most almost always, great fun for me and a wonderful outlet for my offbeat sense of humor and most importantly, a great place to have online interactions with a very diverse group of folks. I know I’m not everybody’s cup of tea and have long understood the critical mass and background radiation I bring. But overall, I hope my writings have brought some fun and, even on occasion, thought provoking content to HBO. Mostly I wanted to meet folks I’ve chatted with on HBO but haven’t yet had a chance to meet, like the wonderful Truly, for example. I was willling to show up even knowing DFO didn’t want me on HBO or at the blogfest, although he denies the latter, I am a fairly advanced student of human nature and know he was just saying what he thought was expedient. But the fact is, whatever I did to so inflame DFO’s anger towards me and his need to permanently ban me from all of the S-R blogs, his anger towards me is enough to keep me from attending. I’m not going to harsh his blogfest buzz and I have no real interest in being in the same place with him, to tell you the truth. I know exactly what he did to ban me and so does he and more than a few of you do also and I’m sure he feels the ends justify his means. Oh well, whatever happened happened and I’m outta here. Have fun tomorrow and I’ll think of many of you and maybe this summer we can meet and hammer a few brews.”

  Please feel free to visit my blog as long as DFO leaves my link up or google “TUBOB” and come say hi.

  Bob”

  methinks Bob W-O-N-T be at Moon Dollars tomorrow….

• 

  JaneQCitizen on February 27 at 8:55 p.m.

  I don’t for a minute believe that Bob would pass up a chance to finally lay eyes on his two favorite femme fatales, Jbelle and Jane Q or the Moose Drool they promise to buy him. We have a history Bob. Don’t quit on us.

• 

  JBelle on February 27 at 9:05 p.m.

  you know, Janey, he’s a big chicken. he knows we’ll make him dance with us. he is soooooo two blogfests ago.

• 

  JohnA on February 27 at 9:33 p.m.

  HBO is about ideas and comments on what’s happening in our community. It should never be about any one person or any one ideology.

  DFO has worked very hard over five years to ensure that the blog is not overrun by one personality, or one side of any issue. It’s a difficult balancing act, I’m sure, one that few of us ever see on a regular basis. He knows, importantly, that if he allows personal attacks on those of us who venture to comment that this community asset will be compromised. It will simply cease to function as the valuable community forum that it has become.

  I’m glad he’s made the difficult choice to restore civility and grace to this site. It was for some a long tme coming.

• 

  JaneQCitizen on February 27 at 9:52 p.m.

  JohnA, you are a gentleman and a world class punster who always elevates the level of discourse here. Not to mention the first to be inducted into the Cutline Hall of Fame.

• 

  keithincda on February 27 at 9:55 p.m.

  JQC, I’ve been asked to request that you wear that top in your avatar picture tomorrow. I could be bought to tell who asked me to request this….

• 

  Bent on February 27 at 9:58 p.m.

  Excellent point John. I humbly amend my 6:56 comment to say… in the spirit of Blogfest, maybe ALL OF US (and you know who you are) should ponder JohnA’s second paragraph for awhile. It’s well put… I apollogize for second-guessing your judgment DFO…

• 

  Dennis on February 27 at 9:59 p.m.

  I may call in sick to work if JQC wears that to Blogfest!!!

  ;-P

• 

  Bent on February 27 at 10:02 p.m.

  (((((Jeannie of Spokane))))) I want to change my vote for most creative avatar… PLEASE email me before tomorrow!

• 

  JohnA on February 27 at 10:13 p.m.

  Thanks, JaneQ and Bent.

  I’ve known and worked with DFO since the mid ‘80s. I can assure you that it pains him greatly to rein in one of his posters, especially when their wit and talent brings so much to the site.

  Meanwhile, suddenly, I must comment on JaneQ’s avatar: to paraphase Bob Hope: “Thanks for the mammaries”.

• 

  joebu on February 28 at 6:24 a.m.

  OK, I just read the list of recognized bloggers…. didn’t see either of my names (have posted with an alias in the past when I wanted some anonymity.) ! C’mon people — I gave/am giving you golf balls and coffee this afternoon! I’m even in the posted photo from last year’s blogfest! Where’s my attention???

  /just saying.

  Guess I have to do a better job of dialoguing more with everyone and expressing more opinions about stuff and crap like that. Or at least more skin in my avatar. See everyone this afternoon, hopefully!

• 

  JaneQCitizen on February 28 at 7:59 a.m.

  I usually reserve the polka dot bikini for the white sand beaches of Mexico so we’ll have to see. Joe, I didn’t make the list either. I guess I should have used this avatar from the beginning. :)

• 

  Stickman on February 28 at 9:40 a.m.

  Thanks keithincda for posting Bob’s letter for all of us to read. I will miss seeing him there, but I know I will see him this spring.

• 

  Sisyphus on March 01 at 10:32 a.m.

  Thanks florine and Stick. You are all wonderful people and I do hope to cross the digital divide back into the real world and meet up with y’all.

  “He knows, importantly, that if he allows personal attacks on those of us who venture to comment that this community asset will be compromised.”—JohnA and Bent, I wonder how ThomG feels about this comment. Keep drinking the DFO Kool-Aid. Dave has demonstrated just the opposite. He’s posted many things lately on the fact that the left dominates the tubes disclosing a desire to alter that fact and its not a stretch to conclude his desire to turn this into a right wing echo chamber. As I’ve always said that’s his perogative but I’ll be damned if he’s going to fly under the guise that he’s somehow even handed. And if he has to use personal attacks to do it, he’s hardly above it. I had previously always given him great credit and many accolades for administering his rules fairly. Now he’s lumping poor MM into the “left bank” and will vilify him for awhile. Please don’t let him hide behind the good and kind people on this blog to disguise these efforts.

  And Dave, you should really re-think your tactics. Allowing personal attacks in the comments, especially upon those in your community who use their real names will just drive people to post anonymously, encourage sock puppetry, and make your job much more difficult. It could be the beginning of the end of what you built here. I don’t know if it was the election or the demise of Steve Smith that turned you, but good luck in your future endeavors.

• 

  Joker on March 01 at 10:51 a.m.

  welcome back Sis.

  Any time you want to debate an issue, I am game… The blog is a kinder gentler place now. No insults and I am loving it.

• 

  Bent on March 01 at 11:35 a.m.

  “JohnA and Bent, I wonder how ThomG feels about this comment.” — Sis

  Well, Sis, I trust you are not speaking on behalf of Thom George considering his political position in our community. I certainly would want to be associated with the pathetic threats you have leveled here.

  BTW, ThomG has my phone number, email and my respect. He’s a big boy he can call me if he has a problem with anything I have said on this blog or elsewhere.

  Furthermore, I gave up Koolaid years ago. I step to my own beat, thank you very much. IMHO, you sir are a jonny-come-lately to this blog. Up until now, I would have considered you to be one of the more level-headed intelligent comenters…

  As John pointed out, over the years this blog has become a very interesting part of the local political fabric in our region. It has been used to sway elections and to watchdog government like nothing I have seen before. How many blogs do you know of that have been banned in the county courthouse because a commissioner couldn’t escape its scrutiny?

  This blog has been hijacked several times by people with agendas from both the right-wing and the left-wing. As always, DFO will watch it play out to a point, but he has been consitent in reining things in when HBO starts to become an “echo chamber” as you like to call it — whether it is for the left or the right. If you were capable of taking off your partisan glasses long enough, you might be able to see that. This isn’t a partisan tool as some people would like to see it become.

  I personally find it facinating when DFO recognizes that it is time to clean house. It always seem to happen when valued commenters get sick and tiered of every single thread on the blog becoming toxic with political pi$$ing matches.

  You might think this is a unique situation and somehow this is about you, but its not. Everytime DFO starts to clean house he manages to offend a handful of people who somehow thought HBO was only successful because of their presence here. He announces his rules and then begins to enforce them, but those who feel they are above the new rules have to test the limits and wind up in the cooler…or go huffing off to a more comforting spot in the blogosphere.

  It is actually cyclical, Sisyphus. You can almost set your watch to it…

  Long lost commenters like Anymouse and his righ-wing tinfoil gang threatened the demise of HBO as they were swept off to a new life in the CDA Press blogosphere; DanG and his group of CAVE people went started their own virtual reality at OpenCDA…

  Are you guys next? The way I see it the ball is in your court…

  And as you ponder that keep this in mind, you are lose major credibility with people like me by coming on HBO and threatening the moderator, as if you are capable of bring down HBO. I say go for it. Show us what you got. Otherwise, put cork in it man… your sniveling is getting old…

• 

  Dennis on March 01 at 12:14 p.m.

  Well said Bent.

  I found this blog a few years back after reading about its demise by one of the past commentators here. I came here to see what all the fuss was about and I have hanging around since.

  Sys, I, like Bent had a great deal of respect for you and your opinions up until your last post. That was really uncalled for and unfortunately, you all are starting to sound a bit like the conspiracy theroists that left here in a huff in the past.

  I really do miss Bob’s writings, Your opinions and ThomG’s input on the local scene, but the pi$$ing contests get old quickly.

  Now I’ll probably get in trouble for this, but I spoke with DFO shortly after the “coolering” of Bob. I won’t go in to details, but I can assure you that there was nothing personal on DFO’s part. (I’m pretty good at reading people, Comes with the job). Give DFO a call sometime.

  I would love to see you, Bob and ThomG back here as soon as you want. Your opinions are valued here no matter what you may think. But please keep personal insults out of it.

  JMHO

• 

  PDXPup on March 01 at 12:49 p.m.

  “Allowing personal attacks in the comments, especially upon those in your community who use their real names will just drive people to post anonymously, encourage sock puppetry, and make your job much more difficult.” - Sisyphus

  This is the reason I stopped coming to HBO after Christmas. The only reason I came back is because I was told the ringleader of the gang was no longer posting here. The attacks get tiresome to read; it grew to a point where you couldn’t even post on a seemingly harmless thread without it getting derailed and hijacked. And that seemed to be okay with some people because they weren’t the ones getting verbally abused…because that’s all the attacks are: verbal abuse with a handful of adjectives thrown in for good measure; and the sad thing is, often times the attacks are mistaken and forgiven as being creative writing. And god forbid you stick up for someone who’s being verbally abused, because then the abuse gets directed at you. I grew tired of watching smart, creative, witty people get run out of here by the same 3 or 4 posters for daring to offer an opinion different than theirs. You can only watch people get stomped on so much before you decide it’s not worth it to stick around. And I will have no problem bailing again should certain people come back and start verbally abusing other posters.

  It’s been fun to come back to HBO this week and read some great comments and ideas and offer my own input. I really missed reading the great insight into national and local politics and North Idaho by some incredibly thoughtful people. I can’t wait to come home and try some of the places OTV has reviewed; or driving around to check out the Mudgie and Millie statues that I haven’t seen yet; or perhaps track down keithincda to get the chocolate I am owed for amending the Huckleberry Hypothesis for him. :) I appreciate the open flow of ideas with civility and respect for others who post here. I look at it as a privilege, not a right, to be here. Here’s to 5 more years!

• 

  Joker on March 01 at 2:14 p.m.

  A couple of weeks ago, DFO gave Bob, Sis, ThomG and I a choice: Knock off the insults or else.

  It took me less than a minute to realize what I needed to do. I called off my war.

  One invididual chose to attack the moderator, viciously. He hasn’t been back.

  The other two have been hanging out on another Spokesman-Review blog. Until one came back today to blast DFO again.

  I don’t see what the problem is with being civil. It’s not like DFO demanded you surrender your first born or kiss your sister. He said, “Be Nice.”

  I am not sure why that’s so hard to be decent and avoid personal slams.

  I am not sure if people realize how Sis and others write on Idaho 43rd Street Blues. If you want personal insults, foul langauge, and boorish behavior this is the place. Go check it out and compare to what’s going on here. I think it will be an eye opener.

• 

  OrangeTV on March 01 at 2:46 p.m.

  I primarily like to check into HBO for the local news and gossip. The Right vs Left, Left vs. Right war drives me absolutely bonkers and always will. Can any subject ever simply be discussed without employing a condescending us vs them attitude? For some, it appears not. Let it go!

• 

  keithincda on March 01 at 3:09 p.m.

  Hey Pup, hate to sound “old” cause I’m not, but to collect your chocolate you must be accompanied by your parent, the female one!..;)

• 

  Cindy_H on March 01 at 3:15 p.m.

  The chocolate is worth a visit Pup (and JBelle). I got mine and didn’t even share.
  Delicious!

• 

  hmoffsuite on March 01 at 3:26 p.m.

  Joker. I wouldn’t rule out the potential liability issue as being in the back of DFOs mind. We all see in the news, everyday, where an internet based lawsuit is going on. Dave is an agent of the SR and the last thing they would want to do right now is get involved is some litigation over internet slander or whatever. Even if you are not at fault for something, you still have to go to court and defend your self. That is one reason that lawyers are more disliked than drug dealers. You can walk away from a drug dealer. :~)

• 

  MamaJD on March 01 at 4:00 p.m.

  I would like to remind the Angsty People to remember that DFO works at HBO. The rest of us visit it for pleasure or as a hobby. If we get tired of it, we just don’t visit it for a few days/weeks/months. We get to take a break from HBO. The only one of us in the HBO Family that does not really have the luxury of choice is DFO. Sure he has a choice but that means choosing not to work HBO as a J.O.B. So I think we should remember that DFO is as human as the rest of us … while he likes his job overall, sometimes that job is a grind and may not be as pleasant on some days. I respectfully ask that when you see DFO unhappy, try to reflect back and ask yourself if you may be able to do anything “just for today” that might make DFO’s job a little easier “just for today.”

  Times are tough. Tempers are rising. Everyone seems to be sensitive to the divisiveness. Please, people, cut others some slack. CAN’T WE ALL JUST FRIGGIN’ GET ALONG? (I’m yelling here for a reason!) I’m tired of the conspiracy behind the scenes B.S. I’m tired of the who-said-what-to-whom-off-blog stuff that keeps popping up.

  Just remember, DFO’s working here. We visit because we are supposed to be having fun. If it’s a grind for DFO and you aren’t having much fun, then what are you gonna do to make it different?

• 

  toadman on March 01 at 4:09 p.m.

  Well said, MamaJD.

• 

  Bent on March 01 at 4:33 p.m.

  Nice…

• 

  Cindy_H on March 01 at 4:39 p.m.

  Bam!

• 

  Sam on March 01 at 5:11 p.m.

  I have nothing compelling or worthwhile to add to this post, but I thought it’d be fantastic if I could make my first post back to the blog since my two-month self-imposed exile be on such a thread.

  Now I can die happy.

• 

  Cindy_H on March 01 at 6:06 p.m.

  ((Sam)) Since you weren’t there, I hugged your mom instead.
  Welcome back!

• 

  MamaJD on March 01 at 6:55 p.m.

  Good to see you online again, Sam!

• 

  Stickman on March 01 at 7:32 p.m.

  I agree, well said MamaJD. I also enjoy John’s comments whenever the mood strikes him. And Deena of course, such a nice woman is she.

• 

  nic on March 01 at 8:42 p.m.

  “It took me less than a minute to realize what I needed to do. I called off my war…”

  And yet, here you are throwing elbows at two (and a half) people that aren’t here to defend themselves. Please follow MamJD’s advice.

• 

  Kage_Mann on March 01 at 9:32 p.m.

  nic, don’t stretch the truth. I can’t see anything that Joker said,
  that would indicate he threw any elbows.Did you read Dale Carnegies book?

• 

  nic on March 01 at 10:21 p.m.

  OK, so he might not have technically “thrown an elbow” but he is stirring the pot by provoking people who are not here.

• 

  nic on March 01 at 10:27 p.m.

  Kage, I don’t know anyone who stretches the truth… ;-)

  DFO at 11:59 a.m. on February 24 on HBO
  “I appreciate this photo b/c it shows a lighter side to Coeur d’Alene Press columnist Mary Souza.”

  Comment by kageman — February 24, 2009 @ 2:34 pm on OpenCDA
  “Mary… He was trying to get your goat or make you mad.A commenter from HBO emailed a picture to him last month… too bad he has to use a picture of you to put in a thread, so he try to get more hits on his blogsite.”

• 

  Kage_Mann on March 01 at 10:43 p.m.

  DFO’s clever. I still think there were a few different reasons why he ran a photo of Mary in her parrot hat.Not just one reason.

  Nic, you’d never stretch the truth, but please explain how you equate the raising of taxes with rape and torture. Your words.
   ;-)

• 

  Kage_Mann on March 01 at 10:46 p.m.

  Nic, I think you fail to recognize sarcasm in his statement.

• 

  Joker on March 01 at 11:01 p.m.

  Nic: “OK, so he might not have technically “thrown an elbow” but he is stirring the pot by provoking people who are not here.”

  This statement fails the logic test. If they’re not here, how can they be provoked?

  Ok, I’ve got some theories to what you meant. 1. Maybe you meant they blurk here, but “CHOOSE” not to be and they’re steaming in silence. (High probability).
  2. They don’t blurk, which means it can’t be even stiring the pot cause they don’t care.
  3. Or you’re e-mailing certain individuals what I post, so they get fired up. In which case who is stiring what pot?

• 

  Arch_Druid on March 02 at 7:05 a.m.

  I’m away for a few days, either working, twittering or facebooking and find a wild card shot to major H with adults turning childish. Wow! Well I hope that post blogfest you guys had a better time of things as suggested by Dave. I hope that Joker doesn’t have a heart attack over this but I do happen to agree with him that people can debate, etc. and be civil. That many important issues can be brought up without people becoming personally insulting. I’m all for that.

  Watching my TV via HDTV antenna this morning, 28-2 has “THIS,” an old movie channel much like AMC. But local from Spokane, Washington. Figured I’d switch over from Dish Network for awhile and see what was interesting. Since this is a channel that Dish Network simply does not provide. There’s an old western on now.

• 

  Sisyphus on March 02 at 7:54 a.m.

  Whoa Bent and Dennis. What “pathetic threats”? I certainly didn’t come here to level threats, or insult anyone. I have an issue with the uneven way Dave handled Thom. I expressed myself and that was it. I’m consistently being told that its better than bottling it up. I wasn’t aware that I was being singled out for vilification. I have not been banned or coolered. Neither was I previously accused of leveling insults, I’m not sure why you guys are so eager to say that I was.

  And contrary to the assertions, there is no ring. Bob’s pushes the lines. I am aware. And when he crosses them Dave handles it. We’ve always lived by these rules yet you all seem to acknowledge the shifting in the administration of those rules. That is the source of my lament.

  “I am not sure if people realize how Sis and others write on Idaho 43rd Street Blues. If you want personal insults, foul langauge, and boorish behavior this is the place. Go check it out and compare to what’s going on here. I think it will be an eye opener.”—gosh Joker. That surely sounds familiar. Dave says that exact thing all the time when he wants to demonize me. I’m happy to be judged on what I write. But since its a multi author blog please judge me on what I write.

  Mama, I’m painfully aware. I certainly don’t want to be injurious to your pleasure or to “take down the blog”. The getting along thing has to be two ways, no? Dave ‘allowing’ Joker to go over the lines to blast your friend Thom to “teach him a lesson” seems hardly conducive.

• 

  nic on March 02 at 7:59 a.m.

  Main Entry: rape
  Function: noun
  Date: 14th century
  1 : an act or instance of robbing or despoiling or carrying away a person by force

  /adding Kage_Mann & Joker to ignore list

• 

  Joker on March 02 at 8:50 a.m.

  Nic put away your 14th Century Dictionary. Using rape in the context of a rate hike is a very poor choice of words. Stop trying to justify a word fumble and move on.

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