hmmm, ya know, I think that is why you struggle understanding people on these boards.
No struggle at all eddo, I understand you very well. You hold grudges and you also believe facts be damned if you can support a friend over someone you do not like. This thing you have for me started at the jungkle and you can't leave it behind, you did the same thing with someone else we know.
See, I have friends here, and frankly it matters to me how they are doing, what their opinions are, and what they say.
Just because they are your friends that does not mean they are perfect eddo, you don't have to kiss their behinds.....that is if they are your real friends and not just using you to feed their own ego.
Some have different opinions, but I care what they say. Sure, in the end, it is all just words on a screen that I can turn off at anytime, but to me there are real people behind those words, and real people that I care about.
Again I do not see how debating a topic and having friends is exclusive, maybe you do but to me a friend likes you for who you really are, not for who you pretend to be just to get along with the established pecking order.
I enjoy reading, learning, and discussing/debating with these people. It makes me happy. Hopefully, I bring some happiness into their lives as well. When my friends hurt, I hurt. When they are sad, I am sad. When something good happens in their lives, I am happy for them. and yes, sometimes they affect my sleeping patterns.
I will probably never meet anyone from here in real life, but that doesn't make their friendship any less special to me than those that I have in my non-internet world.
And I give you a lot of recognition for that eddo.....but again what does that have to do with having a debate? I like many people here, I have said many times I even like Ali and IWS in a lot of ways but my feelings for them does not change how I disect a topic down to the base ingredients. Facts are facts, reality is reality, friendships do not change this.
Maybe you should try taking us for who we are, and learn who we are, instead of always trying to be better than us.
Your the guy who said all he was trying to do is "win" against me. In fact this entire post is all warm and cuddly and your attempt to try and talk down your nose at me eddo, not the other way around.
I know who you are by what you do eddo, and what you do is sometimes you feel it is okay to lie just to "win", you already admitted that so again I ask you the same question you refuse to answer:
Why should I ever expect a joke from you?
Maybe then you can start to understand our humor, our idiosyncrasies, our mannerisms, and then we could communicate on a deeper level- without all the **** (whether that **** is real or imagined) tossed in.
Reality does not need to curve around human frailties eddo. What is, is. Friendships do not change reality. I actually do very well even with Ali, the problem with Ali is she refuses to allow a discussion that shows women in a negative light without exploding on anyone who is saying the negative things. She has done this with several other people long before I ever showed up in her life.
You as her friend are offering her blind support, right or wrong your her man. If you feel that is right for you then fine, but me I cannot turn my back on the things I hold as important just to be politically correct.
We're good people TJ, and you are missing most of it by going out of your way to be better than us.
Again it is you who is claining to be better than me, not the other way around. Yes you are good people, I have never said anything else.
Do you honestly believe that me not agreeing with what you say means I think your not good people eddo?
Why is it I must conform to you eddo? Why do you demand I ignore facts and reality to be a part of your group? Friendships are two way streets eddo and so far you, Ali, and IWS and a few other people demand I give you understanding but you do not spare me one speck of it yourself.
Why?
I would love to be on friendly terms with you and everyone else here eddo, but that will never happen as long as your trying to beat me down into submission. I do not respond well to threats or attacks on my loved ones and yet that is the thing you turn to first.
Have I ever took a shot at your family or loved ones eddo? How about Ali? Did I ever say nasty things about Ali's family?
Well you and Ali have done that to me hundreds of times, so why should I want to be friends with someone who acts that way?
I am the only one who has had his hand out to you and Ali and even IWS but to date, none of you have returned my gestures. I will keep my hand out because unlike yourself I do not hold grudges and am willing to be as friendly as you will let me be eddo.
Remember, you have never made a nice comment to or about me in over a year in public, I on the other hand have complimented you and Ali in public many times.........so who is being unfriendly eddo?