BS: Off Topic

Subject: BS: Off Topic
From: Bert
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 05:57 PM

Aaaaaah! how I wish we could go back to "The Good Old Days" when thread drift was not only allowed but encouraged.

It was always part of the fun of Mudcat that a thread could develop like any normal conversation. It seems now though that we have a shoolmarm who is insisting that we keep on topic. I guess they will be dishing out lines next, or maybe even the cane.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:00 PM

The good old days are, when looked at more closely, often neither

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Wesley S
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:01 PM

Bert - care to offer any examples ?

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:02 PM

As the three elephants crossed our path we noticed that their skins were quite wrinkled and the ivory tusks were all damaged.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bert
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:02 PM

Well they were days at least.

Maybe not quite as good as we remeber them but that's no excuse to make today worse. ;-)

And yer right Mudcat isn't THAT old.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:03 PM

Putting the clamp on thread drift improves the discourse here at this place quite a bit

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bert
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:29 PM

Unfortunately Wesley, the offending message was deleted without comment. It was only later that it came to my attention that it had been moved because it was off topic.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bert
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:30 PM

Georgiansilver, Are you being personal? My skin is all wrinkled and my poor ol' tusks ain't in such good shape either. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: gnomad
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:32 PM

You can get stuff off topic here, Bert.

I like a bit of thread drift, me.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:32 PM

Bert. I hope you are capable of blowing your own trumpet...that will assure me you are a true elephant.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bert
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:39 PM

Nice one gnomad.

And of course I ALWAYS blow my own trumpet - I wish I didn't keep forgetting things though 'cos that disqualifies be from elephanthood.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 06:41 PM

LOL

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Rapparee
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 08:42 PM

I play the trumpet. I can certainly toot my own horn.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 09:46 PM

This thread does present one with a bit of a paradox. Since it is entitled "Off Topic", are we to best achieve Bert's objective in starting it by remaining on topic and robustly discussing the topic of off-topicness, or would we be more faithful to his goal by abandoning the idea of trying to remain on topic and just wandering off into the topic hinterlands? Or would it perhaps be best to circumvent the issue entirely by posting questions that make people go, "Huh?"

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 09:50 PM

How 'bout them Cubs???

(Oh, you say they stink???...)

Hey, I was just tryin' to make some conversation... You think I follow baseball???

Geeze, Loiuse...

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: bobad
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 09:51 PM

Ever wonder why you don't see as many goiters as you used to?

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 09:53 PM

The schoolmarm has been trying to remake the mudcat over in her own image since she arrived. She has succeeded, in my opinion. She's got a cadre of b*****s that will help her out. They can have the place.

harpgirl

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: SharonA
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 10:17 PM

Bert failed to mention that he's rather tall, which would give him one more elephant-like attribute. Come to think of it, last time I saw him, he was kinda gray, too...   :^)

Which "schoolmarm" are we talking about here? I can think of a couple of 'em. Whoever she is, she should have typed a comment about where she moved the off-topic post that offended her, and why she felt it necessary to edit a thread! (...and, of course, who moved the post!)

Oops, sorry, was I supposed to go off-topic on this thread? Okay... I drove for 45 minutes through a really violent thunderstorm to go to a song circle this evening -- flooded roads, blown-down tree limbs and road signs to drive around, nonfunctioning traffic lights -- only to find that the circle was cancelled because the coffeehouse had lost electricitiy (along with half the town) and was closed. So I had to drive back home through the obstacle course -- arrgh. I hate when that happens.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Sorcha
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 10:26 PM

And hockey's back...whadda ya tink?

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 10:58 PM

I heard an interview with Hockney on NPR yesterday. The painter, not the character from "The Usual Suspects". He's dead. The character, that is, not the painter. No, not Kevin Pollack, the actor who played Hockney. He's alive. I guess. If he died, nobody told me.

What was the topic again?

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 11:32 PM

"They can have the place."

Then fuck off

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Alba
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 11:34 PM

Seems like there are quite few people that covet the golden edit button, even behave like they have a pretend one! Ah yes, an editor button and all the power that goes along with it............. mwahahahaha....(* mad laughter *)


If I ruled the Mudcat,
every Thread would be about anything,
Britney Spears and Smoothies, Gigs and bits of String
'on topic Threads' are so silly
let's talk Chicken wings....

If I ruled the Mudcat.
I'd ban all Members and make everyone Guests.
I'd grant each person their every personal request
As for the DT. well feck it, jeez i'm doing my best
~~~~~~~~
My Mudcat,
would be one hellava place,
full of chaos and nasty back biting
My Mudcat,
would be a feckin disgrace
but seems some Folks would find that enlightening.
~~~~~~~~
If I ruled the Mudcat
Moderators would be banned from this place,
No Songs or BS or Mudcat Getaways
Scrap Trad Music
Well admit it, Trad is old anyway(s)!

If I ruled, sorry if WE sorry if our... ach feck it, you know what......
Let someone else run it.
click!

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Jul 06 - 11:37 PM

Well done, Jude!!

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bert
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 12:21 AM

Aaah! Bee-dubya-ell in the good old days it wouldn't have been a paradox as long as you didn't threaten anyone you could have said what you like.

But seeing as THIS thread is about being off topic, you can say what you like here.

Aw, SharonA, "kinda gray" you're being too polite decidedly gray would be closer to the truth. And I hope that wasn't Steel City you went to.

Alba, Where can I get one of those pretend buttons? Nice song, I don't agree with it, but a good laugh anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Peace
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 12:31 AM

"Ever wonder why you don't see as many goiters as you used to?"

Actually, yes! Kids used to wear them when I was young. Now, they just aren't around anymore. Wot's that about then?

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Peace
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 12:42 AM

They still make 'em, though . . . .

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Peace
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 12:52 AM

Uh huh!

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: CarolC
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 12:54 AM

What was the topic of the thread that the post was deleted from, Bert?

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Ebbie
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 01:37 AM

Now, was that 'goiters' or 'garters', Peace?

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Sorcha
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 01:41 AM

Actually, it was gaiters......and I tink Peace needs his meds too.... :)

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 03:56 AM

Is this the message you were referring to, Bert?

Thread #91184   Message #1783241 Posted By: The Shambles 14-Jul-06 - 05:46 AM Thread Name: BS: Is closing threads censorship? Subject: RE: Affected by The Licensing Act 2003     I consider that "my work here is done" in the classic B-movie phrase.     Please now close his thread?

The same message was posted in a good number of threads (about eight threads, I believe), and yes, I deleted most (but not all) copies of the message.


Or was it this one:

Subject: As seen on Oprah From: GUEST 76.0.237.218 Date: 18 Jul 06 - 10:56 PM **AS SEEN ON OPRAH** Do You Need an Extra Income? Quick and legally? Do you have a Pay Pal Account? (If not, the set up takes 10-15 minutes.) You could make up to $50,000 in one month's time with more money coming in every month thereafter! $50,000 in Pay Pal? That's Right! $50,000 dollars in your Pay Pal ACCOUNT, IT WAS PROVEN ON OPRAH and this system is COMPLETELY LEGAL!!! You may have heard of this program (or one like it) on 20/20 or even in the Wall Street Journal. $10 that's all it takes. I'll try to keep it short and sweet. To get started just copy this whole page and paste it to edit it. Simply follow the instructions below and in 2 to 3 weeks, you will have as much as $50,000 dollars in your Pay Pal account or even more. Most people respond to this program because of the low investment ($10 dollars) and the high profit potential. There is no limit to the income you can generate from this (you can do it over and over). If you follow the instructions, you will reach thousands of people! Honesty, Faith, and Integrity make this system work. I think everyone has heard of Pay Pal. anyone with an e-mail address can join for FREE! If you're not already a Pay Pal user, the first thing you need to do is sign up. Sign-up for papal here www.paypal.com it's really easy to set up and it's FREE!!! Just make sure you have a Business or Premier account or you may be subjected to a monthly income limitation, which may slow this program down. Send $5 to the first person on the list by using the Pay Pal send money feature, and include in the email Please add me to your list. This keeps the program legal. Then send another $5 to the 5th person on the list, with an email that says, Thank you. I've joined Remove the 1st e-mail address and place your address at the bottom. This moves the 2nd to 1st, 3rd to 2nd, 4th to 3rd, and the 5th place into 4th. DO NOT TRY TO PLACE YOURSELF IN THE FIRST PLACE. IT WILL ONLY REACH THE PEOPLE YOU SEND IT TO, AND THEN YOUR NAME WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST! If you do this the way it was designed, it will reach thousands by the time your name gets to the top. REMEMBER TO SEND a $5.00 dollar donation to the 1st e-mail address and the message "PLEASE ADD ME TO YOUR LIST," and send an email with the words 'THANK YOU. I'VE JOINED" and the other $5.00 donation to the 5th person. This helps the 5th person keep track of progress of the letter and continue to send out more emails. Here is the list: 1. [e-mail] 2. [e-mail] 3. [e-mail] 4. [e-mail] 5. [e-mail] (Make sure it's the same e-mail address that you used to open your Pay Pal account. This is the way you will receive payment) Now that you have paid the 1st person and 5th person and sent them both an email, a note, and placed your e-mail address in the 5th place, then what you need to do is post your letter. You can post on craigslist.org, message boards and newsgroups (there are thousands!), and you can even send in an email to your email list. IT IS YOUR JOB AS THE 5TH PERSON ON THE LIST TO ENSURE THERE ARE AT LEAST 20 "THANK YOU. I'VE JOINED" replies. The fifth person is the guardian of the system! If there are not at least 20 replies then the fifth person will keep sending/posting the letter until there is. MAKE SURE YOU SEND $5 DOLLARS TO THE FIRST PERSON TO THANK THEM FOR WHEN THEY WERE THE GUARDIAN OF THE LETTER AND $5 DOLLARS TO THE FIFTH PERSON SO MORE EMAILS CONTINUE TO GO OUT! Now the fun happens, we reap what we sow. Other people will see your posting and do the exact same thing, bringing you lots and lots of dollars!! Seriously, its common sense, you do it and 25 or more people see and do the same thing so on and so forth everyone wins! You will receive thanks AND THE SAME BLESSING. When your name is on the 1st slot, 8,000 to 15,000 people will send you 5 dollars! Keep in mind the most you spent is $10 DOLLARS! (Remember this: what goes around comes around!) Follow the instructions and be surprised!

Or is it the attacks people post against women and Jewish Mudcatters and handicapped people?
What is it you want me to do with them, Bert????

Or is it the complaints about thread closing that were posted in the Licensing Act thread AND a Gospel/Gaelic thread - I moved them to the thread closing thread. Were those messages "thread drift," Bert - or were they hijacking??
Do we have to make sure that every thread reserves space for a certain privileged individual to complain about Mudcat editing?
Tell me.

"Thread drift" is natural and healthy, and fun - but not when one individual intentionally hijacks large numbers of threads, all for the purpose of complaining about a single off-topic subject. I don't like closing threads and I don't like deleting, so lately I've attempted to resolve problems by moving contentious messages into consolidation threads, so the original discussions can continue on the original topics. It's not a perfect solution, but it has some value. You can find moved messages by clicking on the sender's name in any message he's posted, like this (click)

Give us a break, Bert.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 07:23 AM

Then there's continental drift, and there's the north Atlantic drift, there's snow drifts, and drift nets, and drifts of petals in the street after the Festival of the Flowers in Jersey. There's a copper drift that you can use to drive 2 pieces of metal apart without damaging either. like knocking a bearing off an axle, cos it had been knocking, and you had to take it off to replace it, if you get my drift!
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Sorcha
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 10:28 AM

Get Dreft! (soap made specially for diapers/nappies)

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: freda underhill
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 10:40 AM

Jeremy Bentham, a British philosopher who died in 1832,left his entire estate to the London Hospital provided that his body be allowed to preside over its board meetings. His skeleton was clothed and fitted with a wax mask of his face. It was present at the meeting for 92 years.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Rapparee
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 11:36 AM

I posted this to MOAB, but I feel it needs wider dissemination (or disovulation, if you prefer). Please read it carefully, for you never know when you might need to know this.

Surgical removal of a seminoma from a black sea bass.

Weisse C, Weber ES, Matzkin Z, Klide A.

Department of Clinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6010, USA.

An adult black sea bass was examined because of abdominal distention and decreased appetite. A large abdominal swelling was evident and was firm on palpation. Differential diagnoses included neoplasia, abscess or granuloma, hematoma, or swim bladder abnormality. Diagnostic tests included survey radiography, positive-contrast radiography, and computed tomography. The sea bass was anesthetized with tricaine methanesulfonate. A ventral midline abdominal incision was made, and adhesions to the mass were gently dissected. The fish recovered without complications. Radiography was repeated 8 weeks after surgery, and there was no evidence of mass regrowth. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a barium enema being performed in a fish. Although surgical procedures are performed more commonly on fish for research, a few reports of clinical surgical cases have been described. Our experience supports the conclusions of other reports that certain surgical procedures can be performed safely in fish.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Sorcha
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 11:36 AM

Oh dear, fred.....how FUNNY! I assume they left it til the money ran out???

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: SharonA
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 11:44 AM

Bert: It was indeed Steel City! How did you know?

As for "kinda gray", well, that's what I remember from when you used to go to BCFSS meetings in the distant past. Hey, why don't you drop in at a meeting sometime when you're back East... or don't you come back East anymore?

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: freda underhill
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 12:21 PM

well, he wanted an "off" topic, Sorch!!

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bert
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 12:29 PM

Joe, how the ^%$#^%$ should I know which message it was 'cos it was GONE.

All I'm asking is that if a message is moved or deleted then leave a note saying where it has gone and why. Then it will be possible to follow the continuity of the thread. Simple really and not too much to ask.

Sharon, I just took a guess, I used to go there every week. I'm in Colorado at the moment but might make a trip to Phoenixville an a few weeks time.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bill D
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 12:37 PM

"Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweed"

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 12:53 PM

No, Bert, it's not going to happen. When I delete Spam, I'm not going to post an explanation. When I delete eight copies of the same message from eight different threads, I'm not going to post eight explanations. When I delete a personal attack, I'm not going to reinforce the attack by posting an explanation. When Shambles posts complaints in eight different threads, I'm not going to post an explanation when I consolidate those complaints.
The posts we delete are destructive, problem-causing posts. Oftentimes, they are posted in quantities of ten to a hundred. They're messy, and cleaning them up is messy - especially when people have responded to them.
So, No, Bert, for the last time, I am not going to post an explanation when I delete a message. That being said, there are times when I do post an explanation, when doing so makes sense.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Ron Davies
Date: 19 Jul 06 - 11:23 PM

Hey, Bert, c'mon back to the Kitchen Table. You can always talk about anything you want. We'll be glad to hear it.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Bert
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 01:19 AM

Well Joe,

if you delete just ONE message without an explanation then you open yourself up to any Mudcatter saying "Hey MY message was deleted" and you will have NO WAY of disproving it.

If you can't take the time and trouble to be open and above board in your editing then I'd suggest that you stop editing for a while.

The reason I started this thread is because I was trying to follow a thread and came across a message that didn't make sense. I tried going back and reading the (very long) thread again and still couldn't make sense of the message.

It wasn't until later that I discovered that a message had been moved.

I am still seriously pissed that some discourteous moron would go into a thread and move a message without saying so or why.

So I say to you and all the other clones (myself included). If you can't take the time and trouble to be open and above board in your editing, the keep your sticky bloody fingers off the keyboard.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 03:59 AM

Topic - a hazlenut in every bite!

Anyone else remember them?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 04:37 AM

I thought that was squirrel crap Liz, not topic. I really liked the catchy tune to the Topic ad.
What's got a hazelnut in every bite,
Thick milk chocolate for your delight

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 05:35 AM

Wasn't the squirrel in the advert voiced by Bill Oddie?

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Alba
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 07:00 AM

Oh Liz, I loved Topics and yes it was Bill Oddie ( of the Goodies?) that did the voice over on the Advert.

MMM, now I am thinking Chocy and it's only 7am here in my house....!!

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Alba
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 07:41 AM

Jeez bert.
I didn't know you were on the Mudcat Admin Team! I get the impression you dislike the other volunteers you work with here behind the scenes.
That is one nasty post you got going there Bert, nasty.
Surely the feelings you expressed could have remained a private exchange instead of subjecting us to seeing that kind of venom from a Clone towards other Clones here in public on the Forum.
I like your posts a lot Bert but frankly that particular post is pretty distrubing on a lot of levels.

I also thought that Clones were supposed to be anon!!

J

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: GUEST,Moaner Lisa
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 08:38 AM

even the clones can have moans. maybe it was a bad thread day. off to the kitchen table.

Subject: RE: BS: Off Topic
From: Alba
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 09:26 AM

Of course people have bad days, but most of them don't go public about it and resort to verbally bashing the Team of people they "supposedly" work closely with behind the scenes here on the Mudcatin a Thread in the Bullshit section.


Off to my Garden, as I have now finished sitting at my kitchen table.
Have a GOOD day Guest. Life is short, sieze the moment.
I intend too:)