*Aw, my mum used to say that to me when I'd be bummed about something that upset me.*

yeah, mine too, only we would add, "somewhere a toilet is flushing"

Personally, I think that you should reconsider and stick around. This is a community, and your thoughtful postings here are very valuable as an addition to the usual claptrap of discourse here.

I do understand your yearning to protect your own integrity by this attempt at taking the high-road, but this is not the real world, it's a weird little island in the great ocean of the internet that needs upright citizens such as yourself.

If Nolen is not being fair, then fine. That's his choice. But, I would hope that the positive results of your being here are outweighed by the harm that you feel that he has done to this group and you personally.

This is a valuable community in our lives for whatever the hell reason that we find this valuable, and I think that in some ways, these communications enrich our lives more than they waste our time.

Well - I hope so at least.

Take a break maybe, but I hope that you choose to come back and 'win' by being more righteous, not by leaving.

Everyone's opinion and thoughts and ideas and comments have value.

Unless it's just baiting or swearing or flat out attacks, we can learn a lot from each other.

For instance, in our daily lives, we might not have the opportunity for such lively exchanges with people who hold vastly different views.

At work, it could make for a very bad work situation. Like people getting fired for telling the person in the next cubicle to "f-off". Just can't do that at work. And we probably shouldn't be doing that to each other here either.

At home, unless someone wants to sleep on the sofa or there is much door slamming, there probably aren't huge discussions taking place about politics.

People do take sides. Of their friends or family or nationality or political party. They want things to be smooth. Except life isn't smooth. Unless we all choose to try to see it from another person's point of view.

And to perhaps consider issues by what the subject matter is, and not by who posted it. It would really help if people would not create names that are meant to be insulting. Whether it's for each other, or for various politicians.

Yes, I know it's very hard not to respond when someone is on our case about something. There was a time I'd respond every time, ending up in some dadgum battle. I'm getting much better at not responding when I know that a person is choosing to go after me.

It's easier to change my reaction than it is to change that other person. LOL!

And it's much easier to point out a problem if I don't respond in kind. Because then it just looks like yet another flame war that will be near impossible to figure out who started what without reading everything ever posted on Tribe.net. I can't even read everything posted in this tribe. And I'm sure the moderator and most members aren't reading every single post here.

Yes, when I thought something was very unfair in this tribe previously, I left too. Took a breather. I do that with many tribes. I can end up feeling drained if I put too much energy or focus into one area. It takes on importance that it doesn't really have.

Ron, are you in the Do It Yourself tribe? There's always something new to learn there. Some interesting photos in the photo gallery.
do-it-yourself.tribe.net/

Another neat tribe is Patti's Recipe tribe. People post all kinds of things there, and links too.
recipeexchange.tribe.net/

This is fun, the Non Traditional Housing tribe:
nontraditionalhousing.tribe.net/

Astronomy is great, mostly it's Serge posting really good articles to read:
astro.tribe.net/

Clear your mind of what is going on here by reading and enjoying some other good tribes. If all else fails, go to Safeway, get their Peppermint Herbal Tea, make a mug of tea, and then take two tea bags and toss them into the bathtub and soak in minty bliss while sipping yummy peppermint. Add in some plain Epsom Salts too. To the bath water, not the mug of tea.

Maybe you and he can get a new tribe going that offers the chance for Ron to pontificate in a forum that will not decry his regular reliance on ad hominem arguments, straw man arguments, deceitful appeals to his own authority, and so forth!

I'll join~! :) I'll even pretend he's not a smug, unpleasant, pompous windbag having very little contact with the outside-world, just to help roll things along.