Welcome back, the left

[Stealthy]

Perhaps we could all agree on a moratorium on political postings for an agreed length of time for everyone to get their breath back, let the heat die down and get some martial arts discussions going?

Agreed.

 

[Ken Morgan]

Take a wonder through and lurk for a while in the JSA section, there’s only a handful of us there. Problem is we are all seasoned veterans who tend to agree with each other and who trip over each other trying to help the odd newbie who stumbles across our dominion. We may be boring as all Hell right now, but man when that Zombie apocalypse springs on us, you’ll be happy to have our swords.

Political discussions are fine, provided the benchmark of what are facts are understood by all, when we can’t even agree what are facts, everything else goes out the window, and mayhem reigns.

 

[granfire]

5 days ago, MartialTalk officially turned 10.
10 years. 10 long years.
10 years of ups and downs.
$50,000 spent on software, hosting, bandwidth, long distance calls, fliers, business cards, tee shirts, pens, and who can remember what else.
(Yes, that is an accurate number).

We were there when Modern Arnis imploded, exploded, and erupted into war.
We were there for a dozen Kenpo feuds, as many TKD feuds, and a few dozen 'founders' of 'ancient' arts.
We've got the digital corpses of a dozen self-proclaimed fraud busters, twice as many 'experts', and 2,000 spammers moldering in our dungeon.
We were here when 9/11 happened, reported on countless wars, invasions, incursions, terrorist attacks, political hatchet jobs, natural disasters.
We've been threatened with lawsuits by convicted pedophiles, self-important blow hards and confused 'ninjas'.
We've been roasted, invaded, and kicked in the teeth by our competition.
We've seen mass exodus's of members over rules issues.
We've had to fire, suspend and ban friends.

Yet we still are.

10 years.

That's a long time.

A lot can change in 10 years. A lot has.

Some days, I wouldn't take all the Spanish Gold in the Caribbean for the site.
Other days, I'd turn the keys over for a good nights sleep and enough money hit zero again.

MartialTalk is supposed to be open to all seekers of knowledge.
It once was.
Lately, the politics have gone so far past reason, I'm hard pressed to see a reason to bother.
When a guy posting stupid pictures is the voice of reason, one is forced to question reason.
Is there a point anymore here?
Bill posts something. Someone else jumps on him. Elder posts a poem. Lather rince repeat.
TF or I post something dealing with terrorists, then he and I go round and round about muslims. Neither budging, just pissing each other off again. lather rince repeat.
I post something about cops. Each time, it follows the same pattern. Arch and I will go back and forth, a few other leos chime in, and I walk away feeling that all I've done is drive a few more leos off the site.
and so it goes on.

MartialTalk was intended to be a martial arts community. Where seekers found teachers, and teachers found seekers. Where people can swap techniques, training tips, seminar notices. Form training groups, and relax. The feeling you get after the seminar, when everyone is chowing down, sharing a drink, having a laugh. Relaxed.

A lot of days, it's like that. Some days, today, it felt like anything but.

Too often for me, lately, it's felt like anything but.

Maybe it's the weather. Been hotter n hell in my apartment. 95 some days at 80% humidity isn't good. Takes a lot out of you. Have a backlog of work as a result, and I don't get paid sitting here arguing. I'm tired, I'm not feeling that great, and, I'm tired.

So, I might not be here arguing in the near future. I might take a break. I might walk away. Forum isn't going anywhere. Not anytime soon. Server'll keep running as long as I can keep feeding the mouse running on the wheel. Mods will keep moderating too, so no one get stupid ideas. This wouldn't be the first time I walked away...just the first really mentioned time.

But, keep something in mind...it's no fun to argue with like minded people. A real debate requires research, give and take, and concession. Running the other guy off the site, isn't a win. Not for the site.

Later.

Ah, have a bubble bath, some good chocolates and a glass of adult beverage.

 

[Twin Fist]

the square root of Chuck Norris is pain

 

[granfire]

the square root of Chuck Norris is pain

:lfao:

random, but funny

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Ah, have a bubble bath, some good chocolates and a glass of adult beverage.

I need a deeper tub. Maybe in a few weeks.

 

[granfire]

I need a deeper tub. Maybe in a few weeks.

just let the Little Lady give you a deep tissue Massage...

 

[Carol]

Or...have her dress you in a tiger suit...

 

[Sukerkin]

Take a wonder through and lurk for a while in the JSA section, there’s only a handful of us there. Problem is we are all seasoned veterans who tend to agree with each other and who trip over each other trying to help the odd newbie who stumbles across our dominion. We may be boring as all Hell right now, but man when that Zombie apocalypse springs on us, you’ll be happy to have our swords.

It's a point I've made myself when asked why it is that I, if the political hooplaa annoys me so, don't post more on my martial art. I think perhaps we, the JSA membership, could perhaps post up a few things about our art that are aimed at people who don't know anything about Japanese swordsmanship? I don't imagine that the response rate would blow our tabi off but it might be worth a try - after all, the thread I started on the shape of the katana got quite a few posts, which did rather surprise me.

Political discussions are fine, provided the benchmark of what are facts are understood by all, when we can’t even agree what are facts, everything else goes out the window, and mayhem reigns.

Therein lies the major problem when attempting to converse about fanatically held beliefs i.e. reasonableness is the first victim, closely followed by the slaughter of attempting to see the other persons point of view.

 

[Sukerkin]

Or...have her dress you in a tiger suit...

Okay, I admit it, I'm English and I don't understand this

 

[ETinCYQX]

I wandered into the aikido forum and Steven Seagal broke my wrist. But the worst part is that he made me listen to his country music. It was... *shudder* awful. I will never go into the aikido forum again. That place is scary!

Steven plays the blues. It's also awful and I say that as a self proclaimed blues purist.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Okay, I admit it, I'm English and I don't understand this

Tiger Stripe Bikini

 

[Archangel M]

I cant understand the whole "lets shut down political debate" thing. If it bothers you DONT PARTICIPATE!

 

[Tez3]

I cant understand the whole "lets shut down political debate" thing. If it bothers you DONT PARTICIPATE![/QUO

If you don't participate then views which are extreme or are misrepresentative of something you are or believe in get left unchallenged. As the forum is open to the public to not challenge such views leaves the field open to those that want to push their own agenda. The other thing of course is why should we be driven away from civilised discussions by those unwilling to be civil?
I don't think we should close it down but there is a code of behaviour agreed by all posters, there is also an agreement, unspoken perhaps or unwritten that subjects which are hugely emotive should be written with a eye to not being sensationalist or shocking for the sake of it. I was suggesting that we just have an agreed break from posting things just for the sake of upsetting other posters in the hope that a short rest would lower the temptatons to post stuff just to hack off someone else.

 

[Steve]

Steven plays the blues. It's also awful and I say that as a self proclaimed blues purist.

I should have known it was the Blues because it was so bad I was overwhelmed with sadness.

I cant understand the whole "lets shut down political debate" thing. If it bothers you DONT PARTICIPATE!

Along the lines of what Tez said, some of the things put out around here are extremist. Some of it is downright hateful. Not challenging these posts could imply general agreement.

 

[Tez3]

I should have known it was the Blues because it was so bad I was overwhelmed with sadness.

Along the lines of what Tez said, some of the things put out around here are extremist. Some of it is downright hateful. Not challenging these posts could imply general agreement.

Well said sir, you put it much more succintly than I!

 

[Archangel M]

So..it's "don't post stuff that I don't agree with"???

 

[billc]

Some people do not like it when others disagree with them:

http://bigjournalism.com/wthuston/2...how-democrats-would-shut-you-up-tea-partiers/

from the article:

On MSNBC, John Kerry told us that Tea Party ideas are not “real” ideas, not “factual,” and thinks that the media should stop reporting on anything that smacks of ideas or news coming from Tea Partiers.
-----------------------------------------------------

So much for free and open debate and that old saying about "I hate what you say,but I would defend to the death your right to say it."

 

[Tez3]

So..it's "don't post stuff that I don't agree with"???

Not in the least. It's don't post insults, don't post things like 'dead arabs are good Arabs', don't post that 'all Muslims are evil' etc etc. You know that I'm as argumentative as they come so posting something I don't like is no problem to me, I'll argue but when we gets things that are clearly inflammatory people should think before they write.

Billcihak, that's pot and kettle, because in the OP you call those who disagree with you misguided hence my posting about you being patronising.

 

[Archangel M]

Or label it as "racist, hateful, etc.". While some of the political postings HAVE been a bit more "extreme" in their views I have not noticed anything blatantly hateful, racist or trying to incite any sort of action.

Stomping on discussion of "sensitive" topics with the "you are hateful boots" seems more like an attempt to prevent debate issues the poster doesn't like. Methinks that the same treatment wouldn't be applied to issues the complainer agreed with.