RMEyou should follow your own advice, 'move on', and develop the maturity to refrain from using them again.
It's pretty snarky to suggest ACY needs to develop maturity, as well as quite demeaning and contemptuous
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
wanswheel Close enough. Drinan.
Close enough. Drinan.
Thats the guy.....lol. Sensenbrenner hated that guy and his wearing of the Roman Colar in Congress.......I suspect it made attacking him more difficult. He was called to testify as a witness on various issues past the Vatican pulling the plug on priests running for Congress.
But, in this very specific instance, accurate.
As you know, or ought to know, I have very high regard for both Tom and his experience. "Maturity" in the quote in question refers only to posts in the present thread, and both his subject post and certain others there show a remarkable and needless lack of a number of qualities, among them something that surely qualifies as 'maturity' in our normal social definitions of that word. He is better than that.
(In passing, I would note that I did not observe any comparable objection to 'snarkiness' when this was posted a few replies back:
I'm writing my Congressman to suggest that they build a new golf course at Leavenworth, to make Mr. Trump's retirement more enjoyable. After all, he loves walls and looks great in orange!
This is not precisely the stuff of which reasoned discourse on long-distance Amtrak service is made.)
RME It's pretty snarky to suggest ACY needs to develop maturity, as well as quite demeaning and contemptuous But, in this very specific instance, accurate. As you know, or ought to know, I have very high regard for both Tom and his experience. "Maturity" in the quote in question refers only to posts in the present thread, and both his subject post and certain others there show a remarkable lack of a number of qualities, among them something that surely qualifies as 'maturity' in our normal social definitions of that word. (In passing, I would note that I did not observe any comparable objection to 'snarkiness' when this was posted a few replies back: I'm writing my Congressman to suggest that they build a new golf course at Leavenworth, to make Mr. Trump's retirement more enjoyable. After all, he loves walls and looks great in orange! This is not precisely the stuff of which reasoned discourse on long-distance Amtrak service is made.)
As you know, or ought to know, I have very high regard for both Tom and his experience. "Maturity" in the quote in question refers only to posts in the present thread, and both his subject post and certain others there show a remarkable lack of a number of qualities, among them something that surely qualifies as 'maturity' in our normal social definitions of that word.
Apples and oranges. The posters' comments are emotional venting directed at public political figures; your post is a snarky comment on a poster's supposed lack of maturity, i.e., not a public figure. There is a difference. Also, this is not a seminar in academia. This is a public forum where feelings get aired. It is not at the pinnacle of erudition, more like a contentious faculty meeting.
Getting back to long-distance trains, somewhat...
Schlimm, you roomed with Steve Goodman? Wow.
You must have had some good parties back in those days!
We had good parties when I was in school in the 70's, but the music was all on LP's, not live. None of us were as talented as Steve was. Not by a long shot.
Our droning of "Color My World" when we were three sheets to the wind at midnight or one or two in the morning just can't compare to "City of New Orleans."
By the way, I never heard anyone sing "CMW" sober!
Gee, I loved Petula Clark, but that's not the "Color My World" I was thinking of.
Try Chicago's (the group) "Color My World."
Petula's best? "Downtown", of course! Never cared for "Don't Sleep In The Subway", but I liked "I Know A Place".
"A good all around scholar but not brilliant"...quite the comment from the teacher...worse yet, citing and quoting this by the narrator in the film clip...AND,,,this is grade school! Wow, there would be lawsuits today, destruction of self esteem and all that rot.
Also...how about that zoo...just walk right up to the lions, tigers and bears and stick your hand in between the , what? 3-4 inch separation between the bars? More lawsuits, lots of them.
My how things have changed. Pendulum way over to the other side with our bubble wrapped snowflakes and safe places, with crayons and lego and that's not grade school, that's university!
I did not know Petula Clark was a child star and wartime at that. Thought she was Mod, circa DC5 and the Beatles.
Firelock76- Think Wanswheel "gotcha" on the "Going to Chicago". He's a very clever prankster and never misses an opportunity!
Firelock76I never heard anyone sing "CMW" sober!
I was never quite sure you could listen to CMW all the way through sober.
Roger that Miningman, I thought Wanswheel was tweaking me a bit, otherwise he'd have found Chicago's "CMW." Guess he's not a Chicago fan?
Hey, here's some railroad content! Did you know Chicago's original name was "Chicago Transit Authority?" No kidding! You'd have to go way back like I do to remember that!
"Going to Chicago" was good though! Real "Two O'Clock in the morning in the cocktail bar" stuff! Full-blooded and slightly sleazy. Didn't know Pet Clark had it in her.
RME Firelock76 I never heard anyone sing "CMW" sober! I was never quite sure you could listen to CMW all the way through sober.
Firelock76 I never heard anyone sing "CMW" sober!
You can, but it ain't easy.
I didn't know my opinions were taken so seriously, and find it interesting that I'm held to such a high standard of truth, with no room for exaggeration, irony, satire, humor, or error, while some folks don't care that certain persons in Washington and Mira Lago have a demonstrated aversion to the truth. The difference is that I'm not in a position of power, so it doesn't much matter what I say. But, to paraphrase Will Rogers, when the president tells a whopper, it's policy.
I believe that lack of a sense of humor can be a serious, maybe fatal, physical and mental condition, and it may lead to an early death. Even at 71, I reserve the right to be a bit immature now and then. Steve Goodman died young, but he had Leukemia, so he had an excuse. In fact, he beat the odds much longer than the doctors predicted, and I believe his sense of humor was a major contributing factor in keeping him alive for those bonus years. He was known to call himself "Cool Hand Leuk". We are all richer for his having lived among us and making us smile in spite of life's travails.
Aging is mandatory. Learning and growing and developing a sense of humor are highly recommended. Maturity is optional. Sometimes taking things too seriously and too literally is just a real depressing drag.
Tom
wanswheel
"Sweet Home, Chicago"
T
ACYI didn't know my opinions were taken so seriously, and find it interesting that I'm held to such a high standard of truth, with no room for exaggeration, irony, satire, humor, or error
I was not discussing any such things, only mean-spiritedness, and negative political commentary explicitly violating the Kalmbach TOS as stated by a responsible Kalmbach staff person. I am as fond of humor, sarcasm and even well-phrased polemics as anyone. It is when posts or threads become crippled or puerile or cruel in ways not related to Forum topics that I begin to disagree with them. Even then, I don't argue with a Constitutional right of free expression, but sometimes too much negativism or lack of human kindness gets to be just a real depressing drag.
RME ACY I didn't know my opinions were taken so seriously, and find it interesting that I'm held to such a high standard of truth, with no room for exaggeration, irony, satire, humor, or error Lack of human kindness gets to be just a real depressing drag.
ACY I didn't know my opinions were taken so seriously, and find it interesting that I'm held to such a high standard of truth, with no room for exaggeration, irony, satire, humor, or error
Lack of human kindness gets to be just a real depressing drag.
Yes, I can think of some folks who live more public lives, and have more far-reaching influence than I do, who could benefit from that advice.
ACYYes, I can think of some folks who live more public lives, and have more far-reaching influence than I do, who could benefit from that advice.
Maybe in three and a half or so years we will have choices who won't have to benefit from that advice.
Maybe.
Interesting to see if we get a better level of discourse in the next one, too, but that's even more uncertain a maybe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUsXWEC4q2U&t=2h7m50s
RME ACY Yes, I can think of some folks who live more public lives, and have more far-reaching influence than I do, who could benefit from that advice. Maybe in three and a half or so years we will have choices who won't have to benefit from that advice. Maybe. Interesting to see if we get a better level of discourse in the next one, too, but that's even more uncertain a maybe.
ACY Yes, I can think of some folks who live more public lives, and have more far-reaching influence than I do, who could benefit from that advice.
For the previous eight years, critics of Obama used pretty crude language, including some in Congress. On here, even worse. I may have forgotten, but I don't recall your acting as a language monitor then
wanswheel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUsXWEC4q2U&t=2h7m50s
Dat's da one! All of a sudden I've got the urge for a Miller...
schlimmI may have forgotten, but I don't recall your acting as a language monitor then
I don't recall particularly many ad hominem attacks on Obama here, but I have certainly commented on more than my share of them in other (usually more political) contexts, although I grant you I was much more impassioned in my defense of his wife (who I knew from college).
I was, and I remain, fairly critical of Obama's policies, some of his overt and implicit ideology, and of the behavior of some of the people acting 'on his watch'. That would not mean I would express an opinion of him as evil or amoral, or discuss his sartorial habits or perceived lack of intelligence as though I had firsthand experience of the man.
On the other hand, I don't think it's much of an excuse to say "simian yahoos made fun of someone I liked, so turnabout ought to be fair play". Unless you are saying it's OK to be a simian yahoo and talk about reasoned discourse and fair play in the same sentence. It is the yahooism, not the political point of view, that mattered here, and yes, it's reprehensible regardless of the political perspective it comes from.
To paraphrase Hall on Voltaire: I defend to the death your right to say something ... but I reserve the right to criticize the spirit with which you express it.
"You can disagree without being disagreeable."
I remember a few years back having a "give-and-take" with another commenter on a newspaper forum. After a bit I said, "OK, I'm not going to change your mind, you're not going to change mine, so let's just drop it and part as friends."
Another commenter piped up almost immediately, "Finally, a grown-up!"
ACYAging is mandatory. Learning and growing and developing a sense of humor are highly recommended. Maturity is optional. Sometimes taking things too seriously and too literally is just a real depressing drag. Tom
I take being called mature as an insult.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
RMEI don't recall particularly many ad hominem attacks on Obama here
Your memory must be faltering then.
Railroading will always involve politics to some degree, and my original post on this thread was entirely in order. I have no objection to the wondering from the subject, as long as language is polite and respectful. Can we please keep it that way?
Trump originally demanded B.O. produce his birth certificate, claimed he was not a U.S. citizen, etc. Then after DT's election claimed he (D.T.) never did that. And that is just one of the many attacks on Barack.
I believe RME was speaking of ad hominum atttacks on Mr. Obama here, on the "Trains" Forum. Quite honestly I don't recall any either, although I have to admit I don't look into every topic being discussed, some just don't interest me.
Firelock76 I believe RME was speaking of ad hominum atttacks on Mr. Obama here, on the "Trains" Forum. Quite honestly I don't recall any either, although I have to admit I don't look into every topic being discussed, some just don't interest me.
Firelock76I believe RME was speaking of ad hominem atttacks on Mr. Obama here, on the "Trains" Forum.
schlimmdakotafred? Just one of a host.
I went back using the admittedly cranky community search for any posts with 'dakotafred' and 'Obama' in them (it found 35) and while I find a number of criticisms of Obama's agencies, or Obama's policies, or other things, I can find no criticism of Obama's hairstyle, or his ears, or his lack of intelligence, or his general and repeated lack of honesty ... in other words, of any personal characteristic of the man outside his political role as a public figure.
About the worst was a rant by Dr. D about alleged 'imperial' style when Obama came back to Chicago after his presidency was over -- once again, lacking in personal insults -- for which he was roundly castigated (including a post from buslist, Feb 21 2015, mentioning that even that was a violation of the "3rd item in the terms of service".
I am quite certain that somewhere there have been disparaging personal remarks about Obama, and I would be prepared to wager that evidence will show some of the participants in this thread took action as the thought police concerning them long before I got a crack at a comment. However, it is schlimm's responsibility to actually find and cite these rather than wave hands and make implicit appeals to his authority.
(Meanwhile, I might add briefly that I was involved in the original analysis of the birth certificate provided on the White House site, and saw firsthand where some of the file data had clearly been altered by a bit-editing tool outside of the 'normal processing in scanning software' or whatever the excuse at the time was given to be. Of course, I can't say that some vast right-wing conspiracy hadn't tinkered with the file after it was downloaded from whitehouse.gov, or indeed had hacked the White House official version to try to make the President look bad. But I have to admit that the combination of what I have seen and all the stonewalling and excuses that have been made since then on this topic leaves me with at least the logical supposition that something about the documentation is not as the narrative tries to establish it. I might also add that the issue could be thoroughly and definitively debunked with a couple of minutes' objective analysis of the actual certificate in Hawaii, but of course it is a 'violation of privacy' even for a public figure for that to be granted. So let's just leave 'birther conspiracy' out of disparaging remarks about Mr. Trump if we have to continue the ad-hominem fest going forward.)
RME I might also add that the issue could be thoroughly and definitively debunked with a couple of minutes' objective analysis of the actual certificate in Hawaii, but of course it is a 'violation of privacy' even for a public figure for that to be granted.
How do people explain the birth announcement in the Honolulu newspapers? Another conspiracy? No one's ever given me a good answer to this question.
To this white male it was obvious from the get-go that the "birther controversey" was an attempt to de-legitimize the first black President. How do you think it seems to our fellow (African American) citizens?
What a disgraceful episode.
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