I've been lax about letting Larry Kralj use this space to insult and demean other visitors here. Frankly, I find his stuff so painful to read that I skip nearly all of it, and I have been letting things get by that shouldn't. This is my house, and people who comment here are my guests. When one of those guests becomes rude and abusive, it's my job to stop him.
Fair warning, Larry: From now on, any post you write that personally attacks another commenter will be immediately deleted. Any post you write that makes fun of someone else's name (including Cornhole and Racicrotch) will be deleted. I won't have it anymore.
Furthermore, any post that contains multiple exclamation points at the end of a sentence and pointless all-caps will be deleted. That's not because those things are offensive in themselves, but because I don't intend to wade through that kind of garbage to find out what you really are saying. I have a high tolerance for bad writing -- I've even managed to get paid for quite a few years to read bad writing -- but I'm not going to read phony exclamation points and all-caps for free. Out it goes.
Larry was an early and enthusiastic supporter of the Outpost, and that has lulled me into cutting him a lot of slack. But the slack is all used up now.
UPDATE: Dave Budge is fed up with Larry, too.
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23 comments:
Thank you David. It's long overdue. Larry's comments, name calling and personal attcks are the journalistic equivalent of swimming in a sewer for other readers. Too bad, since it detracts from what otherwise might be some valuable insights and comments that others might value if they didn't have to swim through the doo doo!
[David, please note: I will try to watch my grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and especially my use of the exclamation point. I will even avoid the use of contractions, for fear of putting an apostrophe in the wrong place. However, you must understand that not all of us can rise to the literary precision of someone who writes for a newspaper.]
Concerning the work of Larry Kralj, which is the proper subject of this particular thread, I think you ought to let him post whatever he pleases, so long as he does not use obscene language, does not libel any private person, or threaten violence against anyone.
I say that for two reasons. First, freedom of speech is essentially predicated on the belief that we must hear (or read) the ideas of others. If a man is not allowed to speak his mind—-to express himself in speech or in writing—-then he does not exist as a social being. He is a social non-entity, cut off from all human interaction and association. He exists only within his own mind.
All totalitarian states attempt to circumscribe what a man may say or write. Eventually, the circle is drawn so tightly that a man lives in daily fear of saying or writing the wrong thing. Eventually, he cannot say or write anything. Each man is then isolated from the next, and no one is willing to communicate with anyone else. Everyone lives within his own mind, each living a totally alienated existence as a social non-entity. All communication among the citizenry ceases, and only communication directly from or to the totalitarian state is tolerated.
Is it not bad enough that we must struggle daily against the speech controls imposed by governments, political parties, news organizations, religious groups, and even universities? Why would we want to impose those same speech controls here?
Second, I have another reason for allowing Larry Kralj to post whatever he pleases, subject to the minor rules I mentioned above: Every cause he espouses is doomed by his insane style. And that makes my job a lot easier.
[Postscript: I find it somewhat ironic, not to mention hypocritical, that you would condemn Larry’s outbursts in this blog, yet direct your readers to Tony’s blog in the thread above. A quick perusal of Tony’s site indicates to me that he is extremely reckless, if not stark-raving mad.]
One flew east, one flew west, and one flew over the cuckoo's nest! SIGN ME UP FOR MY FREE LOBOTOMY! I drink too much! I write too much! And I use too many Ex. points! Mr. James Fort, THAT WAS BEAUTIFULLY written! By the way, just WHAT is your job? (note the one question mark. creative punctuation I've always considered a commie plot, AND enough justification to lobotomize anyone found guilty. and a good lobotomy makes one a better writer I found, right Mr. Budge?) I will seriously attempt to live within above constrictions placed upon me, REGARDLESS of the damage it will do to free speech and spirited political discourse. Dave, like Bush himself, has brough FREEDOM to his blog! I feel all tingly and patriotic all of a sudden! GOD BLESS AMERICA!
David, you are correct this is long overdue.
I must disagree with Mr. Fort on his point you are stifling free speech. If Mr. Kralj wants to rant and abuse exclamation points he can set up his own blog. They're free and if he needs help setting it up I'll be more than glad to help him.
Larry -– I work in dermatology. And I think you should read some of the recent research on the connection between acne medication, depression, and suicide.
But, Jimmy, I don't have acne, I'm not depressed, and I have never considered suicide! But I AM outraged! If one is not outraged at what is currently going on in our country, then I think that THAT person is mentally ill. But if I ever get acne, I'll sure look you up!
If a man is not allowed to speak his mind—-to express himself in speech or in writing—-then he does not exist as a social being. He is a social non-entity, cut off from all human interaction and association.
You have got to be kidding, right? Kralj has the freedom - at any time - to set up his very own blog - FREE, using Blogger - and express himself to his heart's content. He has no right to sound off on anyone else's blog; such right exists only at the discretion of the owner of the blog.
Nothing wrong with having a few house rules - although my kids would disagree with me.
Kralj's comments inevitably drive a thread down into infantile name calling. Before you know it, internet acronyms like LMAO and ROFL are flying - it's degarding to a blog. Dave Budge has offered to take him on one-on-one, with conditions - that Larry can only discuss ideas. It won't happen. I think it is perfectly legitimate for the moderator to set the civil bounds of discussion.This place will only get better.
I don't know which bothers me more- Kralj's inane drivel with bad language and juvenile name changes (such as "Cornhole")
or
Mr Mellon trying to post things under several pseudonyms to attempt to look like several people agreeing with HIS point of view.
Both of you do a disservice to your point of view. I guess each of you are on opposite sides, so you cancel each other out. Unfortunately, the rest of us are tired of both of you.
I guess Kralj at least has the balls to put his own name to his words. You win the potty bowl Larry.
Rocky, as I have mentioned numerous times, I call sen. burns a name for a very specific reason. For you see, burns refers to Blacks as n*ggers! I cannot abide a racist like that. I mean, my God, the man is representing our ENTIRE state, and he uses the most crude racists words that exist! THAT, Rocky, is why I use my own names for burns. The man deserves zero respect, and he will get none from me. The man is an awful embarrassment to Montana. Having grown up in the west, I never even KNEW any Black people. But some of my best friends in Vietnam were Black, and I refuse to let a racist old fart like burns get away with insulting them. Can you even imagine a young Black child coming home from school and asking why a U.S. senator refers to them as n*ggers! Incredible! But par for the course for burns. He does the same thing to other races too. As far as this Melon/Fort guy, he wrote above one of the most well-written pieces I've read in a long time regarding free speech. Whoever he is, he is no dummy. He is an intellect to be reckoned. He's everything dave budge thinks himself to be! If he is the rightwing wacko that some have labeled him, he is a damn formidable one and a helluva good writer. I respect intelligence, and fort/melon/whoever is that.
Rocky--
Aw go on. What’s in a name?
Gosh, I kinda miss him already. I can no longer just look at the post and recognize it as Larry's work with all the caps and overuse of punctuation and then skip over it (unless I am in a truly masochistic mood), but I actually ended up reading it! Who woulda thunk it?
That's kinda why I like Spanish. In Spanish, you get to put punctuation at the begining AND the end of a sentence! Just think of the possibilities!.......course, Dave would need a defibrilator handy! But Dave's anal. I understand. I used to teach English. Grammar and all. And if grammar is your forte, you're a pathetic sumbitch. Then, someting happened. I was thrown into a situation where I had to learn ASL, American Sign Language. And guess what. In ASL, there is NO, that's right N-O grammar! Ninguno! Not any! It bout drove me nuts at first! Or at least nuttier than I alreay was. For you see, like Dave, I had to have order in my linguistic universe! But eventually, I surrendered. I gave in. I sucked up my pride AND my forte, and learned ASL. And ya want to know something? It wasn't that bad. In fact, it was an epiphany! It was a revelation! It was a joyous experience! It was communication. TOTAL body communication. A fabulous was to communicate with another human being! And you didn't have to know grammar! You could make UP your own syntax! You could throw the English language and all its rules right out the window! You could communicate without making a sound! You could communicate across a crowded room. You could communicate across a gymnasium. You could communicate through soundproof glass! You could communicate going down Grand Av. with the car next to you! PERFECTLY communicate WITHOUT grammar! WITHOUT syntax! So, yeah, I guess that I've been corrupted. As a former English teacher, I no longer share Dave's affinity for GC, grammatical correctness! But I will tell you this, if you ever seen a poem done in sign, it is a thing of beauty that the spoken language cannot contain. So, Dave, forgive me my eccentricities. I come by them honestly.
Anonymous,
“[I]f you ever seen [sic] a poem done in sign, it is a thing of beauty that the spoken language cannot contain.”
Boy, you can say that again. I’ve been watching a video of Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” The whole thing is done in sign language with a classical music background. It took me about 55 hours just to get through Book I, but it was great. My favorite part was:
In Fable or Romance of Uthers Son
Begirt with British and Armoric Knights;
And all who since, Baptiz'd or Infidel
Jousted in Aspramont or Montalban,
Damasco, or Marocco, or Trebisond,
Or whom Biserta sent from Afric shore
When Charlemain with all his Peerage fell
By Fontarabbia.
That came across beautifully in sign language. The only problem was the woman who was doing all the signing had really big tits and kept making funny shapes with her mouth. I found that sort of distracting.
Wow! Billy boy, an expert on big boobs! How appropo, for you see, before he couldn't even SPELL big boobs, and now he are one! What a fool you are little fella.
Hey, don't pick on wm. the conqueror! Most people express their opinions on a blog, but willy the C. wrote us a poem! At least I think it's one of his. And a darned good one it is, willy. Better than most on the outhouse walls I'd say. He's cultured! Write another for us, willy.
Just an observation. Me thinks that some posters, although they will not admit it, actually LIKE sen. burns's racism. Sad, so sad. These folks are to be pitied.
How do you know that I'm a "non-Muslim"? Interesting comment. And, no, I don't think any Muslim hates me. I didn't start a senseless war with them. It was Bush! I've got nuthin' against any Iraqi at all! Sorry.
Seems to me that they're blowing up collaborators. A worthy pasttime if there ever was one.
Cool Hand Larry learns moderation in blogging.
***
LARRY: But Boss Crisp say...
BOSS KEMMICK: I don’t care what Boss Crisp say. You gotta clean this up ‘an go write trash over there. Or you get a night in the box.
LARRY: Writin’ trash over here, Boss!
BOSS KEMMICK: Okay, trash it up over there, Larry.
LARRY: %##*^^!!!
BOSS KEMMICK: Somebody say somethin'?
LARRY: I didn't say nothin', Boss.
[Later]
BOSS CRISP: Larry, what you be doin’ trashin’ up my blog again?
LARRY: Boss Kemmick tol’ me...
BOSS CRISP: I don’t care what Boss Kemmick tol’ you. I tol’ you to clean it up ‘an go write trash over there. Or you get a night in the box.
LARRY: Writin’ trash over here, Boss!
BOSS CRISP: Okay, trash it up over there, Larry
LARRY: %##*^^!!!
BOSS CRISP: Somebody say somethin'?
LARRY: I didn't say nothin', Boss.
***
[Larry, I tried to publish this post over at the City Lights blog under “Congress boldly cracks down on trolls,” but Ed Kemmick’s still manipulating the debate over there. He’s lost so many posters to this blog and others, he’ll do anything to get you back. Have a nice day. Gob bless your spew!]
Larry, You’re confusing being annoying with being stupid, neither one of which are illegal. OTOH, being annoyingly stupid is a felony.
Our boy cells renew themselves whilst asleep; if only our wallets would do the same.
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