You vetoed an open inauguration thread but you left this up?

January 20, 2009 10:17 AM

You vetoed an open inauguration thread but you left this up?

A single link to whitehouse.gov ? Not even a mention of whatever technological issues were involved - just "Hey, look, new face!" ?

Explanations welcome.

posted by Joe Beese to MetaFilter-related at 10:17 AM (126 comments total)

The veto was before Obama was President. Change has come.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 10:19 AM on January 20 [15 favorites]

Dude. Seriously.
posted by DU at 10:20 AM on January 20

Explanations welcome.

The first post that was deleted had nothing to do with the inauguration.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:20 AM on January 20

Metafilter doesn't do "open threads". However, we do tie up "loose ends," if you catch my drift.
posted by Pastabagel at 10:21 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

This stuff happens. I made a crappy comment about the post being weak, but when I saw that The Boss was commenting in it I flagged my own comment and moved on to a beautiful new future. Change has come.
posted by Science! at 10:21 AM on January 20

The users are revolting.
posted by 517 at 10:21 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Sucks to your assmar.
posted by chunking express at 10:22 AM on January 20 [11 favorites]

The users are revolting.

If you think this crowd is ugly, wait until you see the dancing girls! /apologies to Fozzie
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:22 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Attempt at compromise-and-contain solution to inevitable clusterfuck results in failure to please all of the people all of the time.
posted by cortex at 10:23 AM on January 20 [17 favorites]

Yeah, but, dude, they changed it.
posted by The Straightener at 10:24 AM on January 20

Sucks to your assmar.

Thank goodness for the Urban Dictionary...

To be clear: My documented beefs with Obama aside, I voted for him and thought the proposed open inauguration thread a useful venue for letting the commoners enjoy their revelry.

Shutting it down sent a message that the mods preferred to keep the usual standards enforced. Letting this thread live sent what seems to me a contrary message.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:26 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Thank goodness for the Urban Dictionary...

Yeah, you may want to read Lord of the Flies.
posted by chunking express at 10:29 AM on January 20 [16 favorites]

As a furriner I'm more than meh about all this but it's not killing anyone and I don't think it's the crack before the dam bursts. So, um, not too concerned. New president is not bad precedent.
posted by Abiezer at 10:30 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Urban Dictionary? Is Golding the new face of inner-city slang?
posted by solipsophistocracy at 10:30 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Attempt at compromise-and-contain solution to inevitable clusterfuck results in failure to please all of the people all of the time.

Fair enough.

Does this mean that grey thread is looking more attractive in the rearview mirror?
posted by Joe Beese at 10:31 AM on January 20

Oh shut up you tedious bore.
posted by Artw at 10:31 AM on January 20 [37 favorites]

Man, Joe Beese is really starving for attention today, isn't he?
posted by dersins at 10:31 AM on January 20 [18 favorites]

You weren't content shitting on the blue, you had to come here and do it too?
posted by tommasz at 10:32 AM on January 20

Hunh. Apparently the phrase was uploaded to urbandictionary in 2003... I confess, I would not have thought it so.
posted by Scattercat at 10:33 AM on January 20

Does this mean that grey thread is looking more attractive in the rearview mirror?

If it meant you wouldn't have posted this attention whoring thread, than yeah.

LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!
posted by chunking express at 10:33 AM on January 20 [2 favorites]

Does this mean that grey thread is looking more attractive in the rearview mirror?

Not really, no.
posted by cortex at 10:34 AM on January 20 [2 favorites]

Jesus, seriously? The thread that was killed (link, btw) is a one-link post from Boing Boing, of all places, timed to coincide with the Inauguration. It was politically crass and didn't deserve to serve as the "Let's talk about the Inauguration" thread. It was designed as a "Your New President Still Sucks" thread, and we don't really need that today.
posted by graventy at 10:34 AM on January 20

Close this thread, it's doing nothing but give Joe Beese attention for being a dick.
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:37 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Well, so much for a 'new era.' We now return to your regularly scheduled petty bickering and bullshit.
posted by jonmc at 10:37 AM on January 20 [2 favorites]

I was hoping for some sort of flame out. Those are always good.

HOPE!
posted by chunking express at 10:38 AM on January 20

Warren Oates would never be this whiny, sheesh.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:39 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Close this thread, it's doing nothing but give Joe Beese attention for being a dick.

Seconded.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:40 AM on January 20 [3 favorites]

Where's the animosity coming from? Nothing wrong with Joe Beese raising the issue. As I said, not bothered but in truth it was a flimsy post. Not like it was a surprise bit of breaking news and something better could have been prepared (past inaugurations retrospective?) to provide the same outlet.
posted by Abiezer at 10:41 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

A post critical of Obama is removed for no good reason really (the open post is single-link too, which is one of the reasons given for the first post's deletion), followed by an Obama meta thread being similarly vanished.

What if you're not 100% positive on this event? There is no place for you here?

Comments like "Why can't you just pipe down and let people celebrate?" are disheartening. I am very happy that Bush is gone & Obama is in, but does that translate to no criticisms whatsoever allowed? Very disappointing.
posted by stinkycheese at 10:42 AM on January 20 [7 favorites]

Thirded. Now you have to.
posted by chugg at 10:42 AM on January 20

Where's the animosity coming from? Nothing wrong with Joe Beese raising the issue.

Because he complained twice in thread, got one deleted, and then posted it to Metatalk when no one responded to his comments?
posted by smackfu at 10:43 AM on January 20

no criticisms whatsoever allowed?

Criticism of what, exactly? People are over there in the current fpp bitching about the poem, Rick Warren, Michelle's dress, etc. You want to criticize the inauguration? Go wild.
posted by rtha at 10:44 AM on January 20

Sort of the process, give or take then.
posted by Abiezer at 10:44 AM on January 20

The thread that was killed (link, btw) is a one-link post from Boing Boing, of all places, timed to coincide with the Inauguration. It was politically crass....

This thread is also a one-link post, also timed to coincide with the inauguration, and equally crass. The only difference as I see it is that this one expresses a popular attitude towards Obama and the other expresses an unpopular one.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:44 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

President Barack Obama The text of the Inaugural speech will be posted after it's completed. Change.gov is closing up shop; Change has come to Whitehouse.gov.

Crass how exactly? It's a link to the new white house site. Are you seriously comparing it the the previous post -- to BoingBoing?!

Maybe if you keep whining in the other thread people will realise they are participating in something horrible.
posted by chunking express at 10:46 AM on January 20

We have a brand new President, it's a new era....

and we're still the same bunch of assholes.

*fixes another drink*
posted by jonmc at 10:46 AM on January 20 [13 favorites]

And fuck, there is also nothing wrong with one-link posts, though yeah, as an FPP I agree this one is only interesting because of the context around it.
posted by chunking express at 10:46 AM on January 20

"It was politically crass and didn't deserve to serve as the "Let's talk about the Inauguration" thread."

So let *both threads* stand and then those who want to be critical* have a place to do that, and those who want to shout whoopee! can do that in the newer thread.

On preview: And now people want this shut down too. You know, it's great that Obama is prez and all, but can't the full spectrum of opinion be represented?

*about things of substance, not poems and dresses and BS
posted by stinkycheese at 10:47 AM on January 20

I am very happy that Bush is gone & Obama is in, but does that translate to no criticisms whatsoever allowed?

The Wired blog post was from last Thursday, so posting it on inauguration day seemed a bit manipulated. It just seemed like sour grapes.

But if you want to create a new policy out of one deletion, go for it. That's the MeFi way.
posted by smackfu at 10:47 AM on January 20

does that translate to no criticisms whatsoever allowed?


Oh please. I was reacting specifically to his whiny lookame! tone in whining about rules and such in a giddy celebratory thread. It takes quite a leap to get from "pipe down hall monitor" to OMGCENSORSHIP.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:48 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

It's the difference between gray and blue.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:49 AM on January 20

I've been here for four years now and I *still* feel like I'm too new here to start laying down the law and calling people to account with regard to matters of etiquette and moderation.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:49 AM on January 20 [13 favorites]

and we're still the same bunch of assholes.

and I mean you. And if you think I don't mean you, I mean you most of all. And I include me in the you.
posted by jonmc at 10:50 AM on January 20 [2 favorites]

You yourself admitted the original post was 'not very good'. You weren't the only person to comment on it's quality.

Fine, maybe politics played a role in it, but I would guess that on a typical day, that post would get deleted. It was mediocre, at best. Pair the mediocre link with the entire "this new guy sucks like the old guy" vibe the post gives off and you have a bad post.
posted by graventy at 10:51 AM on January 20

*fixes another drink*

Me too, please, jon.
posted by rtha at 10:52 AM on January 20

I don't know about Mr. Beese but all I'm saying is that I'd really like to be able to see the full range of poster's reactions to this event, whether positive or negative.
posted by stinkycheese at 10:52 AM on January 20

What if you're not 100% positive on this event? There is no place for you here?

The place, as far as I can tell, is the open thread on the front page. Not everybody agrees, and the thing is probably going to have some messiness in it, but I don't think any sane person expected there not to be a de facto thread on the subject today. The deleted one came off to me certainly as stuntish, the open one is fairly neutral, and we're hoping people can get over the need to meta-freak over it enough to just run with it and leave it at that.

followed by an Obama meta thread being similarly vanished

What thread are you talking about?
posted by cortex at 10:53 AM on January 20

All I got is Cuervo & Coke.

They're covering the luncheon or whatever now. I loved his speech, too, but come on already.
posted by jonmc at 10:53 AM on January 20

I think we've got a representative cross-section of the whiney fucking cry-baby reaction.
posted by Artw at 10:54 AM on January 20 [2 favorites]

This is a Meta thread concerning the inauguration which you closed at 9:40, cortex.
posted by stinkycheese at 10:55 AM on January 20

the open one is fairly neutral
Needs a link to the Axis of Evil blog added for balance.
posted by Abiezer at 10:56 AM on January 20

Vanished means closed now?
posted by smackfu at 10:56 AM on January 20

This is not who I would have wanted defending my thread.
posted by desjardins at 10:56 AM on January 20

Vanished means closed now?

More like "unpublished", but it scores higher in Scrabble.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:57 AM on January 20 [2 favorites]

The only difference as I see it is

I suspect you say this because you're blind or else enjoy appearing to be blind. The actual differences are many, too many to describe in this poor space. Simply listing a few of the most significant:

1) The other post taunted the Elder Gods, and thereby sought to bring ruin upon us all. Not sure about you, but I generally dislike having entire cities devoured by gibbering horrors from beyond the far corners of space.

2) The other post contained comments which, when read backwards, would cause nearby babies to burst into flame. Again, not cool. Babies, however irritating they may be on occasion, do not deserve that fate.

3) The other post may have failed to note that it contained nuts and was processed on equipment which handled dairy. Although I'm not a medical professional, I believe at least four people were entering anaphylactic shock.

...and so on. I gave up and quit counting after identifying no less than six hundred and eighteen differences. And I give up easily; there must have been at least a thousand reasons in there, most of which had little or nothing to do with you and your poor lil' wounded political ego.
posted by aramaic at 10:57 AM on January 20 [5 favorites]

Chilled-out, still-on-the-front-page-of-meta answer to legit-but-answer-is-no question/experiment is "vanishing"?
posted by cortex at 10:58 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

If you have a small browser window and don't know how to scroll, then yeah, it could 'vanish'.
posted by chunking express at 10:59 AM on January 20 [2 favorites]

Explanations welcome.

You're have too much time on your hands and you're being a dick.
posted by octobersurprise at 10:59 AM on January 20 [13 favorites]

That vanished MeTa is a lot more visible than I was led to believe.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:59 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Oh for pete's sake, do you want to erase the word vanishing and replace it with closed?
posted by stinkycheese at 11:00 AM on January 20

“What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply,” said Mr. Obama mathowie, who ran stressing a commitment to reduce partisanship asshattery. “The question we ask today is not whether our government front page is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage people post good links, care links they can afford defend in the inevitable MeTa, a retirement flameout that is dignified.”
posted by rtha at 11:01 AM on January 20 [6 favorites]

I'd like to favorite octobersurprise's comment X100.
posted by eyeballkid at 11:02 AM on January 20

You're have too much time on your hands and you're being a dick

Because of my broken foot. I have more time on my hands than all of you and even I don't want to hear it.
posted by jonmc at 11:02 AM on January 20

Oh for pete's sake, do you want to erase the word vanishing and replace it with closed?

NO! THERE HAS BEEN TOO MUCH VANISHING ALREADY 'VANISHING' SHALL NOT BE VANISHED!!!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:03 AM on January 20

I'm looking after my kids while I post, I do not have perfect concentration at the moment, sorry. Anyways, I think I've said my peace here.

Ideally, we would be able to act like grown ups and be able to do an inauguration thread that contains, like I said, the full spectrum of posters' opinions on the subject. That is all.
posted by stinkycheese at 11:05 AM on January 20

But I said "dick" jonmc, not "drunk." (Also, "You're have," which should be "You have," naturally, pains me greatly.)
posted by octobersurprise at 11:05 AM on January 20

peace = piece, argh
posted by stinkycheese at 11:06 AM on January 20

(Sorry to hear about the foot, too. Hope it mends well.)
posted by octobersurprise at 11:07 AM on January 20

Oh for pete's sake, do you want to erase the word vanishing and replace it with closed?

No, I want people take a deep breath and realize that maybe, just maybe, today is bound to be weird and bumpy enough (and damned busy for us) as it is that it's not necessary to inject extra OMG WTF or oversold rhetoric into the proceedings here and instead just take it easy.

In a perfect universe, someone would have made an excellent, well-researched FPP that would have also made a natural home for the inevitable giant explosion of activity the inauguration and the resulting thread would have been the very zenith of balanced, insightful discussion and analysis. That's not the universe we got this morning, but we're trying to run with it.
posted by cortex at 11:07 AM on January 20 [3 favorites]

There's not much to be done by the moderators. With the way this site works, there pretty much will be an inauguration thread to the point that consensus on the necessity of such a thread will override normal quality standards.

People in America including on Metafilter seem to often relate to their government as battered spouses often relate to their abuser's "I've changed, baby, I'm not gonna hit you any more" pleas, so while the deleted post was (slightly) better than a link to www.whitehouse.gov, there was no way it was going to be the one to stand without causing even more outrage and drama.

Basically, often the mods can fix problems with the site, but sometimes they can't do jack shit because there's little point to fighting large portions of the userbase tooth and nail.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 11:08 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Ideally, we would be able to act like grown ups and be able to do an inauguration thread that contains, like I said, the full spectrum of posters' opinions on the subject. That is all.

To be clear, we've removed a couple of comments that should have been in metatalk in the first place and some petty infighting that had nothing to do with the inauguration. I don't know that any legit negative on-topic comments have been removed, nor do we have an expectation of doing so.

I think there's some sort of conflation of motives going on here, basically.
posted by cortex at 11:09 AM on January 20

I think there's some sort of conflation of motives going on here, basically.

You don't say.
posted by Joe Beese at 11:11 AM on January 20

And I include me in the you.

OH! OW!
How did jonmc get behind me?
posted by cimbrog at 11:11 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

You don't say.

Feel free to elaborate.
posted by cortex at 11:13 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

*waits for elaboration*
posted by rtha at 11:15 AM on January 20

ceiling cat is watching you elaborate.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:16 AM on January 20 [13 favorites]

*gives Cortex a hug*
*gives Joe Beese a hug*

Cookies, anyone?
posted by misha at 11:16 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

I voted for him and thought the proposed open inauguration thread a useful venue for letting the commoners enjoy their revelry.

cortex has posted something about this but I wanted to reiterate that we don't do "open threads" with no link and little context the way lazy political blogs do and didn't want to set a precedent. It being a major event that hasn't happened in 8 years, a post was surely going to come along and serve the purpose. I hoped it would have had some more meat to it to be sure, but the giant switchover of a redesign with new content and new features (and a CC license) on the whitehouse website is a pretty impressive and meets the low bar of good enough to be the inauguration thread for today.

You may disagree, but a link to whitehouse.gov is better than simply writing "open thread" on a blank post.
posted by mathowie at 11:20 AM on January 20 [5 favorites]

As a wise man once said, the war's over, get new parts for your head.

Sound advice.
posted by jonmc at 11:21 AM on January 20

This thread is the Beese Kneese.
posted by Hovercraft Eel at 11:21 AM on January 20

This thread will be useful when whitehouse.gov finally opens the 'inform on your neighbor' section.
posted by empath at 11:22 AM on January 20

lazy political blogs

Hey, we shaved the whole leg today!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:22 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

If I craft an excellent, well-researched FPP that makes a natural home for the inevitable giant explosion of activity, will you delete the old one and we can start again?
posted by gman at 11:23 AM on January 20

will you delete the old one and we can start again?

I think the normal etiquette is that you post your FPP in the open thread. No?
posted by chunking express at 11:25 AM on January 20

Also, lets all be as difficult as we possibly can be.
posted by chunking express at 11:26 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

inevitable giant explosion of activity

You're too late. It already asploded.
posted by rtha at 11:27 AM on January 20

Also, lets all be as difficult as we possibly can be.

*Refuses to move, goes limp*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:29 AM on January 20

*asks for gravy 'on the side,' leaves lousy tip*
posted by jonmc at 11:36 AM on January 20

> You vetoed an open inauguration thread but you left this up?

There is an internet forum thread in which you can discuss the inauguration. Why does it upset you that it's not yours?
posted by ardgedee at 11:41 AM on January 20

I dunno about another Irishman president.
posted by Mister_A at 11:43 AM on January 20 [1 favorite]

They're spawning like spring mushrooms now. Should be enough variety for any and all views to be expressed. Apologies to Shetterly for cracking a crap joke in their much more interesting effort.
posted by Abiezer at 11:47 AM on January 20

We don't do the "Here's the open Inauguration thread" at MeFi. Sometimes I'd like it if we did, but, whatevs. I was hitting refresh, looking for what I thought was the inevitable thread to be posted at noon eastern time, US. Nuthin. If possible, I'd have linked the text of the speech, but I figured that others might appreciate, as I did, seeing the change at whitehouse.gov. The link itself, meh, the change it displays, FUCKING AWESOME.
posted by theora55 at 11:58 AM on January 20

Joe, can I call you joe?, LURK MOAR!
posted by stet at 12:10 PM on January 20 [2 favorites]

The no open thread policy is a fantastic one.

As to the rest, man, this day is too exciting with possibilities to waste it arguing about the little things.
posted by dios at 12:11 PM on January 20 [1 favorite]

I think there's some sort of conflation of motives going on here, basically.

You don't say.
posted by Joe Beese at 2:11 PM on January 20 [+] [!]

Honestly -- if your $5 was refunded to you, would you just walk away? What is it going to take for you to stop shitting on this site?
posted by cavalier at 12:11 PM on January 20 [11 favorites]

Honestly -- if your $5 was refunded to you, would you just walk away?

But I need closure for his lame, elaboration-free retort!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:13 PM on January 20

please close this.
posted by lunit at 12:18 PM on January 20

IBTST

(In before the second term)
posted by WPW at 12:31 PM on January 20

I'm suddenly excited that dios is excited about the possibilities today.
posted by eyeballkid at 12:37 PM on January 20 [1 favorite]

"Urban Dictionary? Is Golding the new face of inner-city slang?"

Kill the pig, dig? Drink its blood, dig?
posted by klangklangston at 12:40 PM on January 20

"I'm suddenly excited that dios is excited about the possibilities today."

He just knows that today may be the easiest day ever to pull co-eds who want just a little more hope inside them.

C'mon, everybody gets laid on Obama Day!
posted by klangklangston at 12:42 PM on January 20

Keep my hard-on alive!
posted by stinkycheese at 12:46 PM on January 20

If you really want to rain on everyones happiness just add a few 'Of course we were all this hopeful when Tony Blair got in'... though it really only works if you are British.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 12:46 PM on January 20 [2 favorites]

If you are brown, stick around.
If you're a yellow man, keep it mellow man.
If you are piggy, it is no biggie.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:46 PM on January 20

I just celebrated by giving myself a sponge bath and limping around in parade formation.
posted by jonmc at 12:48 PM on January 20 [2 favorites]

fearfulsymmetry - It's like a magic spell. I repeat it everytime it seems like I might start saluting at flags or holding my hand to my heart for the Yanqui national anthem.
posted by Artw at 12:51 PM on January 20

I think he'll be a good present. I don't believe that he'll save the universe, though.
posted by jonmc at 12:53 PM on January 20

good president, dammit. yeesh.
posted by jonmc at 12:53 PM on January 20

Jonmc has become Nurse Rached to his own RP McMurphy. Let us all pray for him or raise a glass of Drambuie and Strawberry Quick, as our own custom might require.
posted by Divine_Wino at 12:54 PM on January 20

A present for the WORLD!
posted by Artw at 12:54 PM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Time to give yourself a lobotomy, jon.
posted by stinkycheese at 12:56 PM on January 20

Jonmc has become Nurse Rached to his own RP McMurphy. Let us all pray for him or raise a glass of Drambuie and Strawberry Quick, as our own custom might require.

Hey, ol pal, I'd gladly throw a plumbing fixture through the window and limp down to the corner bar if you wanted to share a celebration drink/reunite with a sick buddy who misses you.

Oh, and hellbient, if you're reading, thanks for the Slayer shirt, I wore it for the past couple days. God, I miss hygeine.
posted by jonmc at 12:59 PM on January 20

Better a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy, mesays.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 1:00 PM on January 20

jonmc, you have a broken foot?
posted by veedubya at 1:01 PM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Now everyone quiet down, Joe Beese has the conch.
posted by ALongDecember at 1:03 PM on January 20 [7 favorites]

Speaking of starved for attention...
posted by dersins at 1:05 PM on January 20

Give it a rest, dersins.
posted by jonmc at 1:09 PM on January 20

all I'm saying is that I'd really like to be able to see the full range of poster's reactions to this event, whether positive or negative.

What's stopping you from expressing whatever opinion you want in the currently open thread?


When I was little my mother would take me to the beach and every time I found a shell or a rock or a half of a twig or a dead fly or something I'd yell MOM LOOK AT ME MOM LOOK LOOK WHAT I FOUND MOM MOM and if she looked away for a second to rifle through her bag or what have you I'd start hopping up and down and yelling at the top of my lungs. Poor woman was never given a second's peace and quiet. I have no idea why I'm remembering that at this particular moment in time.
posted by Dormant Gorilla at 1:12 PM on January 20 [4 favorites]

Give it a rest, dersins

Why would you assume I'm talking about you? Could it be because you're finally becoming sensitive about the fact that you've yammered on endlessly about being a shut-in with a broken foot in 73%* of open metafilter and metatalk threads in the last week or so?

Well, I guess it's a little better than hearing about the "Famous Independent Bookstore" you can't seem to shut up about, either.

But not by much.


[*]NB: Statistic totally made up but really not far from the truth?
posted by dersins at 1:17 PM on January 20 [3 favorites]

C'mon, everybody gets laid on Obama Day!

I am just looking forward to a new union of understanding, renewal, and reconciliation ...in my pants.
posted by The Whelk at 1:18 PM on January 20 [1 favorite]

Joe. Is your name actually Joe, or did you just decide to take the first name of one of the most annoying parts of this year's election? I really tried to be nice to you when I mailed you the other day. I tried to be as gentle as I could, hoping that a little kindness might help you figure out how to avoid getting on the wrong side of people's nerves here. I gave it my best shot.

Now I'm just going to second Artw, and say, "Shut the fuck up, you waste of server space." Fucking hell.
posted by Caduceus at 1:20 PM on January 20 [2 favorites]

Does anyone know where I can download a standalone copy of the inauguration video? Torrents are blocked at work.
posted by mecran01 at 1:20 PM on January 20

I always figured it was "Joe Beese Wax", as in None Of Joe Beese Wax, but maybe I read too much into things.

He antagonized me privately as a reply. Good times.
posted by cavalier at 1:28 PM on January 20

Oh come on, read his profile and all is explained.
posted by ALongDecember at 1:30 PM on January 20

Dormant Gorilla: What's stopping you from expressing whatever opinion you want in the currently open thread?

My own comment that you quoted was: all I'm saying is that I'd really like to be able to see the full range of poster's reactions to this event, whether positive or negative.

see - as in, look at other people's opinions.
posted by stinkycheese at 1:33 PM on January 20

This is getting increasingly weird and Joe Beese has pretty much recused himself from the thread at this point, so, yeah, let's close thing thing up. See y'all next thread.
posted by cortex at 1:34 PM on January 20