Opinion of politicus

[angus]

Does Scandinavia have a high alcoholism rate? Just curious.

Actually Denmark's alcoholism rate is lower, according to the WHO, than Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, the USA, and the UK. 

Here's an interactive page for the prevalence of alcohol abuse problems worldwide:

http://gamapserver.who.int/gho/interactive_charts/substance_abuse/bod_alcohol_prevalence/atlas.html

[angus]

"But remember that this is not some long distance cyberspace enmity with a guy in Australia or Montana, you are well within my reach shovel-face. So be a good little boy and piss off from both forums, otherwise this is about to become personal and switch to RL."

They're called personal messages for a reason. 

If a trend gets started where posters start to clutter up this board with PMs from other posters, then you'll have only yourself to blame.

[angus]

PM's should not be posted at all without permission of the other party, but making physical threats is an exception to the rules about PM's that normally obtain.

I see.  If I say lovely things about you you're not allowed to broadcast them.  If I say I'm going to burn down your house you're obligated to broadcast it.

You guys really know how to create a welcoming environment.  That's why you're the moderators.

[angus]

but I still y'all are overreacting to politicus.

[angus]

How can you overreact to death threats from an insane person?

I'm not seeing any death threats, and I'm not qualified to determine whether a person is insane.  I don't think we're on the same frequency here, and I don't really want to argue, so we'll have to agree to disagree. 

[angus]

"But remember that this is not some long distance cyberspace enmity with a guy in Australia or Montana, you are well within my reach shovel-face. So be a good little boy and piss off from both forums, otherwise this is about to become personal and switch to RL."

They're called personal messages for a reason.  

If a trend gets started where posters start to clutter up this board with PMs from other posters, then you'll have only yourself to blame.

Oh, chill. This wasn't even a message sent on here. But yeah, if you wanna be on your high horse in a public forum and constantly harass people in personal messages then maybe it'll bite you in the ass eventually.

I think you know better Angus. If you wanna support the crazy, do so directly, not by interpreting rules in a weird way.

Yes, I do know better than many.  I know better than to act like an outraged schoolgirl and post private messages publicly.  When I call someone out, I do it in full view of the forum.  Not only have I never harassed anyone in a personal message, but I also have never posted the contents of a personal message on this forum.  And yes, I think that makes my horse a tall one.  Call my interpretation weird if you want, but if it's weird not to be a bully, then I'm weird.  It is indeed very fortunate for all of us to have on this forum such an expert in psychology who is confident enough to decide who is crazy and who is weird.  

[angus]

"But remember that this is not some long distance cyberspace enmity with a guy in Australia or Montana, you are well within my reach shovel-face. So be a good little boy and piss off from both forums, otherwise this is about to become personal and switch to RL."

They're called personal messages for a reason.  

If a trend gets started where posters start to clutter up this board with PMs from other posters, then you'll have only yourself to blame.

Oh, chill. This wasn't even a message sent on here. But yeah, if you wanna be on your high horse in a public forum and constantly harass people in personal messages then maybe it'll bite you in the ass eventually.

I think you know better Angus. If you wanna support the crazy, do so directly, not by interpreting rules in a weird way.

Yes, I do know better than many.  I know better than to act like an outraged schoolgirl and post private messages publicly.  When I call someone out, I do it in full view of the forum.  Not only have I never harassed anyone in a personal message, but I also have never posted the contents of a personal message on this forum.  And yes, I think that makes my horse a tall one.  Call my interpretation weird if you want, but if it's weird not to be a bully, then I'm weird.  It is indeed very fortunate for all of us to have on this forum such an expert in psychology who is confident enough to decide who is crazy and who is weird.  

No, really. Politicus has sent me insane messages for ages and I've said nothing. She eventually got so upset she issued threats over disagreements. If you want to take the side of the person so easily offended she would always block, ignore or issue threats against anyone who disagreed with them, be my guest. But I think that you don't actually want to.

I know you have been a moderator for a very long time, and I know that it's probably a thankless task.  Still, I was a astonished that you'd post a personal message.  I would not do that.  Also, if in your position as moderator you feel that you need to use your mod superpowers, then it seems unseemly to broadcast it here.  I don't support bannings and suspensions of or editing of posts by any one other than the original poster, but if you have to have such recrimination, or if you genuinely feel harassed and feel that discussion is warranted, then such discussions ought to stay in the moderator cave. 

Also, if every drunken diatribe merited an opinion thread, I'd have racked up at least a thousand of them by now.  I disagree with politicus about half the time, but she is well informed and I admire her for her courage for speaking unpopular opinions.  That she lets you get the better of her is a weakness on her part, but a forgivable one, because you can be very trying at times.  Admittedly, the PM is a little creepy.  If I want to call you a jerk I do it out here in the open.  Still, I don't think I"m going to convince you that you're over-reacting, so I'm not going to argue with you any more.

Good day.

[angus]

Still, I was a astonished that you'd post a personal message.  I would not do that.

in general, sure, but threats are obviously a different matter

Genuine threats are a problem, but:

(1) I am not convinced of any genuine threat in this case
(2) if it is a genuine threat then the appropriate agencies should be contacted
(3) no threat, real or perceived, justifies posting a personal message, because in this situation it serves no purpose other than to cast aspersions upon the character of a poster.  In fact, upon the characters of two posters, since they are both diminished at once.  She because now we'll think twice before going drinking with her.  He because now we'll never, ever trust him with any secret.
(4)  As bad as drunk driving is, it's even worse when a cop does it.  It makes us lose faith in the entire system.  I'd say that such a cop seems unfit to be a cop and ought to have the decency to quit his job before he gives all cops a bad name.

[angus]

saying my face is ugly is fine, but me responding that she is acting insane is an "overreaction". I find it hard to buy that you would, from an objective view point, make that choice.

I was wondering about shovelface.  I had assumed that it was some Germanic or Scandanavian reference, and whether she was posting in English at all. 

Not sure what choices I'd make.  Doesn't matter because now I'm over it.  I'm desensitized, as they say.  I'm like the jurors who refused to convict the police who beat Rodney King.  So much exposure has made me think it's all normal.  Post whatever messages you want.  I'm bowing out.

[angus]

saying my face is ugly is fine, but me responding that she is acting insane is an "overreaction". I find it hard to buy that you would, from an objective view point, make that choice.

I was wondering about shovelface.  I had assumed that it was some Germanic or Scandanavian reference, and whether she was posting in English at all.  

Not sure what choices I'd make.  Doesn't matter because now I'm over it.  I'm desensitized, as they say.  I'm like the jurors who refused to convict the police who beat Rodney King.  So much exposure has made me think it's all normal.  Post whatever messages you want.  I'm bowing out.

"Skovlansigt" is not a word I have heard used in Danish, but if I should interprint it, there's one of two meanings, one is that Politicus think that Gustaf look like he have been hit by a shovel in the face, two is that Gustaf look like he need to be hit in the face with a shovel. As Politicus have already called Gustaf so ugly that he wouldn't be able to score with the fair gender, I think the first interpretation is the most likely, especially because I have heard ugly people being described as looking like they have been hit with a shovel in the face.

Oh, I thought it meant having a face shaped like a shovel. It's cute though that Angus cut out the rest of my post which was of course more important. At least he seemed to realize his position was indefensible, even though he seems unwilling to admit it.

To be honest, I'd rather be cute than shaped like a shovel.  You seem determined to help us sympathize with politicus, don't you?  Keep turning the screw.  This is what you did to her and you got a rise out of her.  And as everyone can see you are very, very proud of it.  Let's see if you can get me into a rage as well.

I will only repeat that you are acting capriciously.  The most important part of your post seems to be that you have the right to air all the dirty laundry you want.  You can post a picture of the skidmarks in your underwear for all I care, and you can do it while posting that you have the right to do it since the shitstains were made in your own home and not in this forum.  But you still will not convince me that what you do is ethical.  I'm used to it now.  It does not surprise me now, but it remains unseemly.  It may be very important to you to do so, but I'd suggest that to keep repeating that you have the right to act like an asshole is not a defense for acting like one.  It is only a reminder of what everyone already understands.

This is the part of you I don't get.  We have both been posting here for years, and you strike me as well read and intelligent, and sometimes I agree with you and sometimes I don't.  But all that aside, you seem to have a penchant for bullying.  Is this what you did to her?  Do you enjoy acting like Yago from Othello?  Do you think that makes you cool?  You do realize that Shakespeare doesn't want you to like Yago, don't you?  He wants you to like Othello.  Whether he wants you to like that slut Desdemona has never been clear to me, but he definitely doesn't want you to identify with Yago.  

Do you think politicus is "crazy"?  Don't you understand that the real experts, the ones who society expects to decide whether someone is crazy also regularly determine that someone is generally driven crazy by the types of people who bully them into being crazy?  Those are the people like Yago.  You are not doing society any good services here.  You are not helping anyone to heal.  You are only throwing fuel on fires.  You may or may not have created a problem, but you exacerbated it, and in order to wash your hands you want to burn on the stake anyone who upsets you. 

Of course you have the right to post all the personal messages you want to post.  I have never said that you should not.  I am just amazed that anyone would exercise that right.  Especially a moderator.  

And yes, I'll say it:  you really ought to be ashamed of yourself.