Jewels

I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. There's Bonfire chit chat and then there's "screw 'em!" It's kind of like internet road rage. I'm not in favor of it. It may be the internet and all, but people still take things very personally whether or not it's meant seriously. The gist of my message is, "play nicely." Look, this is getting afield from the OP's main post anyway. If you (any "you") have a pressing need to let me know how wrong I am, feel free to send me a PM. I'm set up to receive them. TPM Sister #102

Nah, I agree. We all have to look through SOME kind of lens. I meant it when I said that my comments weren't necessarily directed at you; just that it seems to echo what others have said online in other ways. I think there's a softer place in between. We all make judgments about each other in one fashion or another. The issue is how we choose to express them. TPM Sister #102

[replyThings are different in high school, and to this day I wish I had gotten to know her a little more, but the timing and circumstances were plain awful. She was a nice person though. If I met her now, I would definitely have gotten to know her. THAT'S more like it! TPM Sister #102

Well, since you asked. . . . Let me generalize, so it's not taken as a PA. I'm talking about the general tone of your message--but I've seen it plenty of times online and in plenty of forums here. The message comes out as though people think it's okay to share an unfavorable or harsh opinion of someone or their actions and then staunchly back it up by stating something to the effect that "it's just me and my opinion, and I like being that way, so you have to live with it and in fact, you should admire me for it." I think people should consider that this attitude expects people to accept someone else's determination of "what they are"--on the assumption that the person giving the opinion is the one who is qualified to make that determination in the first place. What about cutting people some slack, or knowing them well enough to judge before making that kind of determination? What about the old adage about, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?" It's fine to have strong opinions about things and even to share and defend your opinions. On the other hand, it's a good idea to do some introspection and to have a realistic sense of where and how you fit into it all. Granted, it's not only the internet--it's Bonfire. I assume that there's more to you than the posts in this thread and so that's why I went out of my way to clarify that my comments aren't intended to accuse you, personally, of anything. On the other hand, I will say that when I hear someone start talking about being proud of their criticisms and how glad they are to back them up, I stop listening. In my eyes, that kind of message loses credibility--it doesn't win it. Oh, and to the OP--I think it's great that you went through with the date without cutting it short and that you're thinking of giving it a shot! You don't have much to lose and then if it doesn't fly, it doesn't fly. At least there was a connection! I'm happy for you. TPM Sister #102

A refreshing beverage would be nice . . . keep me hydrated for the duration. TPM Sister #102

I would've been content to leave well enough alone until all this nonsense about being a critic of human nature came up. Walt, you need time to make another trip to the microwave, or shall I begin? TPM Sister #102

In that lies most of your problem - I like the cut away system though - instaed of peel punch peel punch - it's unbuckle - get the bolt cutters You don't even have to unbuckle. They provide the little pair of scissors to cut through your lines and the little dashes to show right about where they want you to snip. TPM Sister #102

Noises are horrible when you are home alone. I don't think it was my FIRST time to stay home by myself, but I must've been about 12 or 13. It was winter. I kept hearing loud crashes that sounded like they were coming from inside the house and I was afraid to leave my bedroom. I called mom at work, who had to come get me. As it turned out, there were icicles on the roof that were melting. They would crash onto the roof and those were the noises I was hearing. TPM Sister #102

Pick an EDIBLE green veggie! Ewwww! (Nope, I never grew up when it comes to brussels sprouts! ) TPM Sister #102

Yes, and then we should all start new threads about needing vibes. TPM Sister #102

LOL Okay, but you're into some wacked out stuff. TPM Sister #102

You've been brainwashed by the cult. TPM Sister #102

ON PURPOSE?! What kind of hideous punishment WAS this?! TPM Sister #102

If they want him back, hopefully they'll be looking! And I hope you know I agree that you're a real blessing to that little one. I don't mean to imply that you're wrong to take action--just the opposite! TPM Sister #102

I would hate to think he got dumped, too. I'm definitely of the opinion that when you take on a pet, you take it on for life--and not just as a matter of existence, but as a matter of QUALITY of life as well. TPM Sister #102

LOL! Sorry. I thought you were going the other way with that. I couldn't hear the inflection in your emoticon! TPM Sister #102

Excellent! I agree--it doesn't sound good, but a lot of things go on during a move. I'd like to at least HOPE that it wasn't a callous act. There are a lot of people who are the ultimate jerks and should be reported--but I would love it if this was something different! He sounds like a real sweetie. TPM Sister #102

What's illogical about it? If the cat got scared and ran, it gets him reunited with his family. If they don't want him, he still gets a second chance. Edited to add: Cats tend to be outside more than dogs as a matter of course--at least, they are in my neighborhood. If the cat wandered off and didn't come when called, it could have been that they couldn't find him at the right time. It doesn't mean they would necessarily stop the move. My co-worker finished the move and then went back for their cat. TPM Sister #102

I don't know your neighbors and I agree that the situation sounds bad, but do you know how to contact them? A co-worker of mine just moved and all of the activity (packing, coming and going, etc.) scared the cat. He ran off and they tried to catch him, but it took a neighbor's help and a couple of days to recover him. They would never mistreat their pets, but I can see how someone could misconstrue what happened if the cat just happened to turn up on their doorstep some time after the move. I just thought maybe you could contact them and let them know you have the cat if they were looking for him, or that you had already made other arrangements if they couldn't accommodate him in their new place. (That's the nice way of saying, "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, but if you had the gall to abandon him, *I* will clean up your mess.") TPM Sister #102

If that is true, I'd love to have one.

Wow. Your user name sounds perfectly suited for the debauchery in mind! TPM Sister #102

Ohhh, great. That is just WAAAY too tempting. TPM Sister #102

LOL Some things are self-evident. It goes beyond realism. Seeing is believing. My original MySpace page made me look like the homeless of the internet. I don't think in this case it's a lack of optimism. I can be VERY optimistic about how your page is going to turn out, but I don't know that you want the code I'd be providing. The last time I changed my own code, it got all screwed up until one day someone asked what I did because it had "fixed itself." I didn't do anything. It just . . . changed. I have technological issues and I can accept that. Edited to add: Besides, I think they all kind of look like a scrap booking page gone wild, anyway. There HAS to be a way to fix that! TPM Sister #102

It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but any MySpace layout associated with my name is solely the result of the efforts of a 19-year-old internet savvy friend. You don't WANT my help. No good could come of it. TPM Sister #102

Hey, it's good to have options! Sometimes people don't get the message when you say it one way and you have to try another! TPM Sister #102