Shared An IMPORTANT Date With My "FRIENDS", Got FLAMED! Ask Me Anything!!

[matcom]

:eyes:

this is a "tough crowd" is the Understatement of the fucking YEAR!

:eyes:

[WilliamPitt]

1. Sick

[Lady President]

47. Bottom line

I read the first 30 posts or so last night and it seemed like the standard stuff (I'm sure you expected some teasing), but did that thread ever get nasty.

To me the bottom line is this: It's 3:00 a.m. and something has gone wrong (i.e. your cat died, your car was towed, you're stuck at the airport). Can you call this woman for help? If so, will she help you and not expect anything in return? If you can answer yes to these questions, then $600 for a memorial night on the town was well worth it and you both deserved a lovely evening. Good friends are so hard to find and I think it's wonderful you honored one of yours.

[WilliamPitt]

50. Yes to all

Period.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Yeah..what is this post about?

[WilliamPitt]

3. Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=105772&mesg_id=105772

Read about the last 20 posts.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=105772&mesg_id=106459&page=

From about there down.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

28. It's YOUR FUCKING MONEY AND YOUR FUCKING LIFE!!!!

send them to me to ask me anything! (BTW, you were clear I was ribbing you weren't you? I'd pay twice that for dessert :D )

[WilliamPitt]

29. Clear as crystal

:loveya:

[0rganism]

40. That's one wierd freakin' thread

I have no other comment.

[44wax]

66. At least you weren't smearing caviar on your balls.

Will you are a superstar on this board. Nothing will change that. I read your stuff on your old website before I came to DU. I stayed here because you have the brains and guts to put your shit on the table for all to hear. You say shit I only wish I had the clarity of mind to say. Plus, you have a wickedly honest sense of humour. And as I have said to you in the past, DUDE- I got your back. Leave the small minded out of your ears and good luck with your lady.

AKA bo44

[WilliamPitt]

73. Thanks, wax

That is much, much appreciated.

[matcom]

4. Will's GRILLING over what maybe the most important "date" of his life

just made me ILL that's all

[goobergunch]

5. Look at posts #137 down to the end...

It will cheer you up.

[WilliamPitt]

7. I saw

Thanks. :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. Well Will, I don't care what the others say...

I think your date is a lucky gal!

If you ever want romantic violin music, let me know. :-)

[WilliamPitt]

8. Only if I can pay you $213,000 for it

since I'm such a rich bastard. :grr:

Thanks. :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. If you do that

I'll donate $212,000 to DU! :-)

[flamingyouth]

13. I took myself to Trio

While I was in Chicago last week. I won't say exactly how much I spent, since I'm not willing to open myself to criticism here (cough, cough, ahem, people).

But damn it, the food was awesome, the service was a trip to the stars, and I will remember it for the rest of my life. So, as long as you and your beloved enjoyed your meal, I toast you!

Oh, and by the way, let's have dinner together when you come to Seattle. ;-)

[WilliamPitt]

14. You're buying

:)

[flamingyouth]

48. 'kay - let's check out Rover's

in Madison Park.

I t'ink you'll be pleased! :-)

[WilliamPitt]

49. Outstanding

I was kidding about you buying, by the way. :)

[flamingyouth]

67. No, seriously

I would be happy to treat you.

Mr. Youth wants to go there too. We love your books, and we'd love to take you out - seriously. I have references to prove that I am not a homicidal maniac and all. (Well, I AM a regular maniac, but not at all homicdial.)

My parents might want to join us - they too love your books and your Truthout articles. They were so funny - when they were transitioned from attbi.com to comcast.net, all they cared about was losing their Truthout for a couple of days!

[liberalpress]

16. Hell, Will...

...I'm a hetereosexual male. ..but for 600 bucks I'D go out with you! That is one lucky lady!

[salin]

38. and all I can say

is all I got last night was a plate of ribs... *pout*

I have to agree with NSMA. Your money. But if we here about you dropping a couple thou in vegas... then you get the lectures.

I have never spent that kind of money. BUT I did do a recruiting gig for my U when I was in grad school - a stipend. Could have saved used the money. But I never had a vacation. Did I mention we were recruiting at UC Santa Barbara? So I blew the entire stipend on a big old fancy hotel and a fabulous gourmet dinner (by myself).. was in indulgent heaven. Way I saw it - I did the recruitment gig soley to pay for a day vacation in a big pampered way. Then went back to scrimp and save. I get it. Completely.

[Rocinante]

9. Wow

I just went back and read the last 20 or so posts. Unfriggen real. Jealousy? Just plain ol' mean spirited? Sorry but I'm kind of speechless after reading all the crap you took just because you were (gasp!) nice to someone.

[matcom]

10. sad thing is, if these people knew HALF of the story

they would be hanging themselves in SHAME right now

[StopTheMorans]

17. yeah, there was some serious hatred being spewed on that

thread. WTF is up with people today? seriously? some of the crap that I read over there "blah blah blah I make 2 dollars and 50 cents a month, and you go out and have a 600 dollar meal?!{!" Yeah, excuse me while I vomit. So let it be known to everyone on this board: if you make any money at all (I don't make much) and you take someone out on a date that costs more than 30 cents, even if you have to save for it, you are a heartless, fascist bastard, and you are taking that money right out of the mouths of starving children. As I stated previously, excuse me while I puke :mad: people need to take it a little easier and stop hating blindly.

[SiobhanClancy]

11. People can be such jerks..

I would guess that the ones who felt the need to share their negativity probably have issues they could deal with in a better way. You never know what's going to set some people off into a teeth-gnashing frenzy.


edited for typo

[myrna minx]

15. Wow-I am shocked.

I would expect this kind of treatment at FR, but not here. This is a sad day, my friends. :-(

[Alenne]

18. Who cares what they think?

You only live once. Enjoy it.

[WilliamPitt]

19. Well

When I get compared to Rush Limbaugh, I get testy.

When I get accused in PM of getting rich by telling liberals what they want to hear, I get testy.

When the worst and cruelest comments in the thread come from my own mother, I get really really testy.

[Plaid Adder]

20. Well, that's what mothers are for, Will

Nobody can stick it to ya like Mom. She's known you your whole life, and she can find all those buttons nobody else knows how to locate.

Seriously, from what I can tell, your $600 date involved a lot of important history and a certain amount of pain, and I just hope that this turns out to have been a healing thing for both of you.

Everybody give Will a hug, he's havin' a bad day,

The Plaid Adder

[WilliamPitt]

23. A wise person once said

It is amazing what people think they can say to you when they don't have to look you in the eye.

Mothers included.

[Plaid Adder]

26. Shit, man, my mother will flame me to my face!

Or at least she used to. Since we worked out the whole coming out thing she's been much better behaved.

Then again, I know I've done a lot of shit that hurt her over the years, some on purpose and some without having any idea at all that it would affect her like it does. We're all just too @#$! complicated.

Good luck,

The Plaid Adder

[Bat Boy]

78. Of course our mothers know how to push our buttons....

They installed them.

[Alenne]

30. I won't touch the mom issue but

Those other people don't know you. You should not let their negativity and jealousy make you upset. Look at it this way. How many of them would be mad if you had spent $600 on them?

[WillParkinson]

39. I would!

I'm worth MUCH more.

[WillParkinson]

21. Not fair!

Some of the comments (mine for instance) were sincere and heartfelt and nice. :-)

[WilliamPitt]

24. And very appreciated

:)

[curlyred]

22. Jealousy and Hypocrisy

If anyone deserves a treat, you do: after a grueling book tour to be able to treat yourself and a good friend to a special night is nothing to get flamed about.

The self righteous are everywhere, aren't they?

[efhmc]

25. I stopped reading early on. It was obvious to me that Will was on a

wonderful emotional high and wanted to share it with others. I remember once in college seeing a guy jump over a hedge after a kiss from his girl at the dorm door. (Old days here when women had to be in by a certain time)It was such a wonderful, extravagant gesture of joy and your post brought back that memory. It made me feel good just thinking about your happiness.

[WilliamPitt]

27. That's about right

Ashes now.

[Maddy McCall]

31. Will, here's my story...I invite anyone to rip me on it

I work my ass off all year, too. 18 hour days too, sometimes longer. Thank god that I can do most of my work in my home.

I saved $4000 and took my kid to the mountains for a week, and spent frivolously. I don't give a good goddam what anyone says about it. It was my income and my decision. I saved for a year to be able to do it, and I do it every summer.

I see that some of the DUers on that board worry about class divisions on DU. C'mon! I have former friends that were the same way--always negative whenever I did something fantastic for my son and myself. Instead of saying, "Sounds great, hope you had fun" they would comment, "I wish IIIII could afford to do that." Then they would get snippy about stupid shit--become overjudgemental and critical of any decision I made.

I jettisoned those so-called friends. I don't need a damned person to tell me how to live, especially since I lived on Ramen Noodles and Pinto beans for over a year before starting my college career. I persevered and achieved success. You have too. Enjoy it at least once in a while, which indeed makes the hard work worthwhile.

Loveya and sorry you had to hear such bullshit comments. You are no Rush Limbaugh!

[WilliamPitt]

32. You cad

You fiend. Why not just eat some Biafra child while you're at it.

;)

I'm jealous of your kids.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

33. AMEN!

[Plaid Adder]

41. Money, Root Of All Crankiness.

You know, back when I was in therapy (and many's the day since George W. took office that I've wished I was still there) I remember telling my therapist that money would be the last thing America ever dealt with. We'll solve racism, sexism, homophobia, and all the rest of it before we ever make a dent in the economic justice problem. She said something very interesting, which was that in group therapy, money is always the last thing that comes up. People will talk about absolutely anything--drugs, sex, how much they hate each other, whatever--before they want to touch the subject of money. And yet, our own identities are hugely defined by our relationship to money, and so obviously are a lot of our emotions.

Back in the day, I put together a Crackpot Theory about flamewars, based in part on what I had learned about how group therapy works:

http://www.plaidder.com/crackpot.htm#group

Basically the gist of it is: no matter what the discussion topic is, any group of people will all eventually get to the point where they are working their own issues out on each other. This is clearly what's happened to Will, and to jchild when he told his friends about his trip with his son. It's just more noticeable at the moment because peoples' money issues are big, nasty, snarly, fanged type of issues.

Anyway. My point is, there is something liberating about letting loose and squandering once in a while, even if you have to pay for it later; and that happens even if it's on a much smaller scale. Back in grad school, when my partner and I moved to a new apartment, we sold a lot of our old books, and we squandered the money on a date. It wasn't $600, but it was certainly a memory that will last a lifetime. In fact, I have immortalized it here:

http://www.plaidder.com/ruths.htm

As for eating children in Biafra: Anyone who is not wearing burlap and living in a cardboard box COULD be doing more for the poor and oppressed. And yet, given the chance, we all feed and clothe and house and even entertain ourselves first, because we're human. We all make decisions about how much we will keep and how much we can give. If you've sold all you have and given it to the poor, then by all means post about that and shame the rest of us into following your example. If you haven't, then lay off.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[Missy Vixen]

74. jchild, thank you, I feel the same way

First of all, Will: DH and I will be at Town Hall on Thursday night. (Where do we get tickets, anyway?!?) We're not homicidal maniacs, closet Republicans, or the richest people in town, but I would be honored if we could possibly buy you a drink afterwards. (We'll understand if you have other plans; I read the name "Rover's" higher up in the thread. You should take any chance you can get to go to Rover's. It's unbelievable.)

If you get to Capitol Hill while you're here, be sure and go to Galeria's (gourmet Mexican to die for.)

Jchild, this is what I wanted to comment on as well: >Instead of saying, "Sounds great, hope you had fun" they would comment, "I wish IIIII could afford to do that." Then they would get snippy about stupid shit--become overjudgemental and critical of any decision I made.<

DH and I have worked our asses off and have been blessed over the years. As a result, we have had experiences that I now will never, ever post on DU. When we bought our home three years ago, someone I thought was a friend spent the entire afternoon walking through my house openly complaining about "IIIIIIIIIIIII should have this house. We need it more than you do. It's too bad that it's not ours." She never once said that she was happy for us or anything of the kind. Bla, bla, bla. Like yourself, we have disassociated ourselves from these folks.

We don't brag about our stuff or brag about the other things we've been blessed enough to have/do/see, but it really gets tiring when we've been absolutely supportive of others, and get the kind of garbage in return that Will is now enduring.

Julie

[Booberdawg]

34. Out of line Will

I mean they were.

I thought your story was sweet ;-)

I put in a good word for ya.:evilgrin:

[TEXASYANKEE]

35. You've gotta take the good with the bad.

The majority of the posts were in your favor, Will (mine included). Sorry you had to deal with the few that, for whatever reason, didn't like your sincere display of friendship towards the lady in question. "The gift is in the giving" I always say, and I'll be willing to bet that you enjoyed the $600 evening as much as your friend. It was a very generous thing to do -- enjoy it and please don't let the minority of "nay sayers" get you down.

If I meet up with you in Austin or Houston next month, the first drink will be on me.

[Sal316]

36. It's just inexcuseable to me!

Dammit!

Travelling, giving speeches, meeting and greeting people around the country is hard work, no matter what anyone says! Hell, one only has to recall Will's travails trying to get from Denver to Boston to see a slice of what it's like.

I say good job, Will. You are a true gentleman. I believe the same thing that every once in a while, it's ok to absolutely spoil someone who means alot to you, friend or more than friend.

This weekend Amaya and I are off to Vegas. Between the room and dinner and everything else, it's not going to be cheap. But ya know what? To me, it's worth it, dammit!

:grr:

It's not flaunting your wealth, it's being overjoyed to have someone you care about and having a memorable evening.

:shrug:

Sometimes, I just don't get people.

[Demobrat]

37. Crabs

I read once that if a bunch of crabs are in a pot and one starts to escape, the others will drag him down. So you managed to escape reality, just for one night, and some of the others crabs can't stand the thought of it. So they want to drag you down. Don't let them. You earned your money.

[Cocoa]

42. it's about the money

An extremely touchy one, moreso for the people who don't have it.

Was the specific dollar amount really necessary?

And notice, there's no romance in the original post, just the money. Unless money=romance, which isn't true, otherwise my sister and I wouldn't have been concieved. :-)

[WilliamPitt]

43. RIF

Reading Is Fundamental.

It was an 'Ask me anything' thread...which means I expected people to ask wtf I was doing spending that kind of money. They asked. I answered. You, presumably, didn't read.

[Cocoa]

44. I was explaining the reaction

Which was pretty mild, you have to admit. The only flaming was when you called me a total idiot.

do you have any inkling about what I'm talking about? You must be aware of the utter rage that economic inequality can cause, and please, talking about how poor you are only makes it worse.

[WilliamPitt]

45. You said this

"Similar to hearing about the way Bill Bennett blew his money. If I were someone that had bought his book, I'd me mighty pissed that that's where the money's going."

after saying "me too" to this:

"Sure, it's his money, he can do what he wants with it. That's what my brother the Rush Limbaugh lover says. So it must be right. Rush is always right. Excuse me while I go vomit."

You and your pal compared me to Bill Bennett and Rush Limbaugh, questioned the integrity of my career, and all in two posts, because I had a once-in-a-lifetime night and was fucking stupid enough to share it with the likes of you.

Spare me.

[Cocoa]

62. think about it

It's so obvious to me how much of a faux pas it is to drop dollar amounts like that around, especially when you don't know who's reading it, and what their situation is, that there's not much more to say. I tried, but I guess you're on the defensive, so maybe think about it later.

By the way, it's nothing personal. I mildly flamed someone who gratuitously dropped the price of his house here.

[Maddy McCall]

46. ?????

Uh, he was compared to Rush Limbaugh, blamed for class divisions on DU, so forth and so on.

He took much more abuse than he should have. I have seen some of the dumbest "Ask me anything" headers...one even said "I just got through masturbating...ask me anything," and Will gets ripped for provoking people to ask him about his date.

I for one hope that every Democrat on this board finds success in life. I know the economy sucks right now, but jeez is it fair to hammer Will so vindictively? YOu would think he was Greenspan devising a way to keep the poor down.

I've been poorer than most people can imagine. I am talking about having nothing to eat but pancake batter mix, and not even butter to put on it, no health insurance, and no way to pay utilities and such...I am always happy to hear of another DUer's good fortune. So he saved for a long time and then took the apple of his eye out to dinner. Are you angry that he didn't just turn around and write the check out to you????

[buddhamama]

51. just got here...can i ask what happened?

[WilliamPitt]

52. Post #3

[buddhamama]

54. ignore them Mr.Pitt

once and a while you have to spoil yourself especially when you are working hard. you deserve it. and having now read the other thread in its entirety, i can only guess the Lady deserved it too. i think it was very nice of you to do.

is the Pier 'something' restaurant still in Boston?

when i was a kid my family went there as a treat...let me tell you $$$$.

[WilliamPitt]

56. Anthony's Pier 4

is still there. My grandfather used to take us there for special occasions. The popovers are still excellent. :)

[buddhamama]

58. that's the one

right by/on the water. loved that place.

(i just edited my above post,btw. sorry you took so much sh*t over this.)

[patdem]

53. Seems your thread got hijacked by more of WillPitt's gentlemans

date...Oh well, go back to the drawing board! You and Will are a HOOT! between your butt and Will's intellect you have it ALL COVERED...or not as the case may be! LOL :bounce:

[JanMichael]

55. Holy shit batcom! I missed that doozy of a thread.

Funny, I agree with everybody and nobody.

I know why Will did what he did and I know why Mom spanked him.

I know why some were critical of the cost and I also know you only live once.

Either way what a bizarre thread...

Wow.

[Robb]

57. Well, I make $2.50/hr

(plus tips, of course). And I'm all for blowing yer wad on something special.

I used to work on the ski mountain in Telluride, and I saw people who had so much money it was astounding. And they were there on the only week of vacation they got, spending it as fast as they could, trying to fit a year's worth of living in a single week.

Sure there's economic inequality. I'd never spend $500 on private ski lessons. But I can't blame someone who's got it for spending it in some effort to make themselves happy. Especially when I considered the miserable lives they led to be able to do such a thing.

But to scrimp and save from a meager salary to do something special -- especially when it's got a solid "giving" element to it -- that's admirable. Sure, you didn't donate it to Save The Children; but hell, charities need the big contributions that keep coming. My wife runs a little nonprofit, and she says constantly she'd rather have $1000 from someone who's got it, than $15 from someone who's going to go hungry from giving it. It's not the "job" of the poor to ruin their lives to save the world; the burden cannot be on the oppressed to free themselves.

Ah, but I do ramble on. Next time you're in CO, give me some time to save up and we'll blow it on the town. Life without celebration is worthless!

:)

[salin]

59. I'm still pouting... feel like wearing a "got caught in the middle of a

flamewar and all I got was a plate of ribs" t-shirt. $600 dinner or a plate of ribs (and a couple of Sam Adams). *pout* j/k.

Look I am frugal. I am really a nonconsumer for the most part. But I have been known to do the whole out splurge from time to time. Sometimes it just has to be done.

We dropped a bit of change to take the whole family to a resort in French Lick (everything worth visiting in INdiana - is related to basketball dontcha know) for my Mother's 75th. Felt guilty for a minute. Sometimes it just has to be done - and if it isn't habit forming... sometimes it feeds the soul to keep going through the regular times (and for me the frugal times).

For example - I am self-funding a trip tomorrow night to LA for a 7 hour meeting. The organization can't afford it yet - but I really want to be there (possibly setting up a longterm relationship between organizations - won't help us for years except for having a visible role). And rats if I can't fly back until a late red-eye. Looks like I am going to have to spend some time in LA... :D In all I am going to drop a bit more than your dinner Will. If wise I wouldn't do it. But gotsa do what gotsa be done - plus I am going to have a great side visit of which many a DUer would undoubtedly be jealous (and will probably be worth the money dropped anyhow).

Sometimes folks just need perspective.

Then again... $600 dollar dinner... and all my date sprung for last night was a plate of ribs... *sigh* ;-)

[WilliamPitt]

60. One of these days, and hopefully soon,

I will let you and everyone in on the part of this story that no one knows right now.

[salin]

63. That would be nice... but it isn't necessary

somethings are our own. We disclose what and when we want - no one NEEDS to have an explanation.

Btw, different topic, have been developing an idea... possibly an article possibly longer... sometime soon. Let's talk. Still am working on that other item - should be able to learn something from the U (or start the process) when I get back from LA.

[WilliamPitt]

64. Let me know n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

75. I don't know what happened to you and I don't need to

I just want to say how sorry I am that this happened to you. You didn't deserve it. You are very generous to your DU family, sharing your knowledge and experiences. Many of the people who flamed you should have been here long enough to realize that.

Your joy was palpable. Don't let them take that away from you. I have been in a lot of pain, recently, myself. I would give a great deal to experience the rush of happiness that you did. It made me happier just vicariously experiencing yours. Thanks for sharing your special evening.:-)

[Wonk]

61. I saved a thread from April 29th. Should I share it?

William started it, then later asked for it to get zapped from DU, and it was, but it lives on on my hard drive.

Nah, I think I'll respect his wishes and leave it zapped from the web.

I'm glad you're not feeling "broken" anymore, Will :-)

[Generic Other]

65. Are we having a green light at the end of her dock sort of moment here?

It's your money and grand gestures are the perogative of those in love.

Your ma only wants to know the girl loves you for who you are, not what you have.


Besides, when Ashcroft decides to call it sedition and arrest your ass, you'll be glad you had a good meal.

And all you sanctimonious ones who never splurged, indulged, or wasted a dime, why don't you go re-cycle some empty cans and give the rest of us a break!

[dweller]

68. Hopefully no one threatened your life.

seems to be a tendency occasionally for that to be thrown about here. But that's another story.

I saw and followed the original post, and checked back b/c i knew it would eventually degrade, i almost started to get in the first dig.
But past posts of my own got me smacked back, and so i thought i'd just watch and sure enough...

So, since the boys have got in their feathers up and circled to defend the pecking order, i'm going to get out on my limb and put in my 2 cents, which is about all i got to fling out there if i get lucky and find a penny in a parking lot heads up. That is, unless i end up writing, rewriting, spellchecking (one will get threw, sic, all the same) and carefully considering sending and then deleting....

But what did the poster expect?? These are tough times for some, and i know firsthand. Imagine if a post had come through:
"I just lit a $300 Cuban Cigar, with 3 $100 dollar bills. Ask me anything?" (points for anyone who gets the 3 lights reference).
People struggling for survival will never, ever understand that and WILL react to it IF it's true. Even if it was explained through the answers that it was a family tradition passed down for generations for the firstborn son to carry on, and the smoker had scrimped and saved and bled and sold that blood and went hungry to experience and carry on the family tradition.
Misery loves company, and you can' t buy love nor true friends. And it will never ever, no matter how much you have buy you respect.

So, with that (respect) in mind, i'll get to my point. Pitt has my respect, from his words, and not from his actions b/c i don't know him personally and couldn't judge from them. I hope i get the chance to meet him and shake his hand one day, and no $$ passes hands.
I saw the cspan clip, and he delivered to my expectations. More power to him, we need him.
And he can do what he wants with his moolah. But even his Ma let him know he brought in on himself. I'd have to agree.
He's under the big tent and it has members from the lowest rung to the highest. In better times, hopefully 2004 and beyond, when the lowest member on the lowest rung has a chance to gleefully exclaim 'these are the best days, i just went and did something totally extravagantly expensive for the most wonderful feeling alone' everyone will have the warm fuzzy feeling, having done so too.

In the meantime, let me pass back some advice you boys seem to freely give the rest of us during these piss-offs.
Leather up the epidermal layers. There is still work to do.

okay, i'm heading back to watching, killing threads, the usual.

dp

[Pale Blue Dot]

69. Will - I think I stopped reading that thread...

When your MOM started flaming you!

Before then I was going to poet that it is a very noble gesture in the 21st century to spend that kind of money and not expect sex! :-)

(BTW, how was the Boston get-together?)

[matcom]

72. Sorry, I am not Will but "IT" was FANTASTIC!!

i *think* i can speak for him when i say it was a BLAST!!!

THANKS!!!

:D

[Bake]

70. What I want to know, Will, is which one is Mom?

Cocoa? That's harsh, dude.

And you did say, "Ask me anything."

Bake

[Wonk]

71. Raven. nt

[populistmom]

76. I still think its romantic

It meant something to him and it seems silly to judge that because it was an expensive dinner. How often do you do that- once a year? Once every 5? Every 10? People spend more money that that on other gestures of affection- engagement rings, weddings, proms. Being a socially responsible person does not mean you have to suck out every joy or rare luxury in your life. Ted Kazinsky went down that path and it's not exactly emotionally healthy.

[On the Road]

77. Will, If You Are Still Reading, You are a Class Act

and thank you for sharing an important personal experience on DU. Two years from now people will still remember your post.

No way in hell you should have gotten flamed. By anyone. My God, I turn on CSPAN by accident and see your wonderful speech in SF, and the small-minded people here eviscerate you over a nice dinner and birthday present to a long-time friend?

Maybe you're right. Maybe things have changed here for the worse. I usually hide in a hole and avoid controversy. I just hope DU can maintain a sense of community and lose the small-minded pettiness. Ignoring it is easy, but only up to a point.

[Rhiannon12866]

79. I agree. He wanted to share a wonderful experience with his DU

family and was ripped apart. His joy turned to bitterness. DU is better than that. People here should know Will Pitt better than that. He works so hard to get the truth out. We are so very proud of him. I just don't get it.:shrug: