Each week, Into The Forums gives you a glimpse into the Mountain Xpress user forum experience. Generally, the focus tends to fall on the topic being discussed, but this week I thought I’d switch things up and give the people who make the forums worth visiting — the actual users — a little time in the spotlight.
* From Break out your food stamps for sustainable food, a thread about the Asheville City Market accepting debit cards and food stamps:
The (PFKaP): “i used to buy 50 pound bags of brown rice and whatnot at the co-op when i had food stamps.”
shadmarsh: “You must be very regular.”
The (PFKaP): “oh, i used to visit the fbfc quite consistently, yes.”
• From Asheville cops pay 300K after throwing a grenade in a man’s lap, in which Police Chief Bill Hogan was quoted referring to a “traditional” crack house:
brebro: “The traditional crack houses have become so overpriced, you may as well look up one of the more modern styles that seem to be much more affordable. Forget those snobs at NRTHCH [National Registry of Traditional and Historic Crack Homes] and their elitist ways. You can find perfectly usable crack houses at the local and more general board of Functional Real Estate Encompassing Buildings And Structures Everywhere (FREEBASE) office.”
• From Obama versus the American Medical Association, a thread which threatened to break down along partisan lines from the very start. And then conservative-leaning poster travelah raised a few very good points, prompting this tongue-in-cheek exchange:
tattttms: “Granted trav is a kook, but the statistic that insurance premiums are less than one percent of overall healthcare costs is very misleading …”
travelah: “Trav is a kook yet you agree with the kook. I’m actually your intellectual superior and years past from the kook stage in life.”
• In a strange tangent in the otherwise on-topic discusson of The “Free” Elections in Iran, there was this bit of back and forth:
Barfly: “Whatever has happened to conservative thinkers? Have all the intelligent one’s died? Years ago I actually would listen to a man like Bill Buckley, a gentleman with a brain.”
mister waffles: “Buckly was a gentleman, you’re right. Especially when he called Gore Vidal a ‘faggot’ and threatened to ‘punch him in the goddamned mouth.’ Quite gentlemanly.”
Steve Shanafelt: “Wasn’t it Chomsky he threatened to punch in the mouth?”
brebro: “No, he was only going to smash Chomsky in the face generally, not the mouth specifically.”
Steve Shanafelt: “Ah, my mistake.”
• Or how about the examination of Irony as “the modus operandi of God.”
Johnny Lemuria: “Irony is a trap. A trap of modernity and the decadence of a culture in decline. We must break through irony! We must enjoy what we enjoy, say what we think, love what we love! And not because its ironic, or camp, or kitschy, but because IT IS GOOD, and damn the consensus that says otherwise!”
The (PFKaP): “oh, i see. he means like a mustache on a hipster?”
willc: “Exhibit A.”
Other noteworthy threads from this week include: 642 page novel ? We don’t need no stinking 642 page novel … Remembering the short story; Hillbilly Alienation; and a quick look at likely internet-changing application Google Wave.
Of course, these topics are just a selection of the hundreds of discussion threads on the Mountain Xpress forums. Don’t see a discussion about that burning topic you’d like to talk about? Why not start your own? All registered members of MountainX.com have forum accounts, and if you aren’t a member, joining is easy — just click here.
— Steve Shanafelt, forums administrator
Well you can cherry pick halfway interesting stuff, I guess. But in between there’s a lot of little personal chatterings. Read that about 4 people have been banned the last few months. I guess they gotta come on here to try to get more folks over there. Til they’re banned. The admin over there likes his little power to ban, looks to me.
From the Topix heading:
I agree with you, for some reason over weight people do have a strong odor specially on a hot day.Ever smell a woman that weigh 400 or 500 pounds that passes you on a bus,train or at a public place,man you want to throw up let me tell you that.You need a heavy duty gas mask.
It’s funny that they seem to think (or at least are implying by not thinking) that the government makes and supplies all the ammunition. F***ing nartards. I hope they shoot themselves in the foot with a 22.
When he comes to take your guns, dont ***** to those of us who told you so. you voted for this n—– president so live with him. the fact you own guns and he is a threat to gun ownership in this country and you still voted for this fool tells me your elevator does not go all the way to the top or else you did not have your priorities in order.
Yeah, Thank god most of these mouth breathers cant shoot a gun any better than they can spell or formulate complete sentences. Their paranoid militia fantasies are so funny, considering they didnt even flinch when Bush made it “legal” for the President to declare marshal law and consolodate military power for domestic use. I’m all about some armed resistance, but these idiots have no idea where to start,. They’d be shooting each other over a case of beer int he first hour of insurrection. It’s funny to see the right-wing redneck bigots now embracing the sort of fringe conspiracy Alex Jones type perspective, now that a Dems back in the White House (whens he gonna paint it Black, anyway?)
*****
So you see, real intelligent back and forth over on forums. This here is closer to most of the stuff there. Stephen must’ve spent 2 hours finding the stuff he quoted. Cause it aint tipical.
Words and ideas and humorous observation? Fun and informative topics? Educational banter?
Harrumph! Not for me.
Unless of course you will let me back in…?
Topix is no fun for a troll anymore!
first!
Weak
Peck!
Tim, i’m glad you can own your body type with pride.
But while we’re describing ourselves:
Witty!
I thought that was a succinct appraisal of the Libertarian platform.
no, that’s Weak-Sauce.
ahhh, waffle’s was the best.
damn moderation-lag.
I also find the forums boring. I heard there will be a change in administrator in August. Hopefully they will get someone who steers the conversations to more interesting subjects, and puts the kabash on all the “trolling” over there.
poor Cullen Anderson. Such a sad, lonely man.
A new admin in August? Man, I wish someone would have told me!
I think they just did.
John Smolkin,
We have no plans for a new admin.
Jon Elliston
Managing Editor
Also, welcome to all the new uses who joined and commented this week!
Thanks!
Well Jon, thanks for setting the record straight that the administrator on the forums will remain.
PFK, you put yourself out as some kind of gadfly. Yet your last post is pukingly kissy face. Geez! Be consistent, will you?
We even have our own religion.
[b]We even have our own religion. [/b]
willc is our minister of information.
If you would like to learn more about the gospel according to shad (with discordian gordian accordion accompaniment) please visit this informative thread:
http://www.mountainx.com/forums/viewthread/1620/
there is a place for you at our Table when you are ready.
From Mr Ted Ledbetter, who’s comment somehow got approved:
“you voted for this n—– (Ed: I assume you meant teh slur for black) president so live with him”
How does this get past mods? Further, how is it that we get derided on the forums for our lack of decorum?
Bobaloo, I re-read Ledbetter’s post above. He was quoting from the MX Forums! So if you have a bone to pick about moderation, “take it to the forums”. -:)
he was quoting, i think. most that post is lifted from one of cullen’s threads from waaaaaaay back, making his claim that steve had to ‘dig’ for that front page stuff kinda comical.
John! I told you to stop hanging out at this darn webiste instead of taking out the trash! Consider this your last warning before the De-Vorce papers are served.
Forums and Lack of decorum is a good rhyme
A good rhyme for Piffy! is, “shut yer cake hole!”
I think we’ve hit on something here! And the comments are in italics because some of the code is broken!
Hey, do random posters get to post here too?
I had a Mandelbrot poster once. It wasn’t actually random.
I’m having my basement tested for random because I hear it seeps through the cracks of the foundation and causes malapropism.
Malapropism is no laughing matter. It can cause blindness in household pets.
Oh. They do.
I like the cut of that Steve Shanaonfeels jib, and I’m not one to throw yachting terms around cavalierly. I hope he isn’t as Greek as he seems tho.
He’s feta.
What about domesticated moles?