Poor But Happy Speakers Corner... Say it all here....

Colombiche says on Jan 31, 2008, 09:36:

Bump bump.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

billyb says on Jan 31, 2008, 09:42:

I am for choice A all the way :)

billyb says on Jan 31, 2008, 09:43:

The only things that should be off limits are children and dogs.

El Polo says on Jan 31, 2008, 09:44:

Choice A, I wont take anything said over the internet home with me at the end of night.

slguy says on Jan 31, 2008, 09:51:

CB- I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You guys do an unbelievable job, in a tough, tough environment.

I belong to some boards that are SOOO moderated, they're boring beyond belief. These boards are simple to moderate - say homo- you're deleted. Suggest that anyone is an asshole- you're deleted. Very tidy.

This kind of board would be the toughest there is- because of the diversity of posters, and it's intrinsic freewheeling nature. I giggled just the other nite at a newbie who lectured us about "stay on topic!" in one thread. Obviously, the newbie came from the heavily-moderated environment, and was distressed that we did the usual PBH thing, and took that thread out for a very long walk. It speaks to the quality of moderation here, and to the nature of this board, that the rest of us were giggling at him - rather than worrying about staying "on topic".

Only once have I ever complained about uneven moderation - but that was more to understand desi's viewpoint than to really complain. Des knows very well the esteem i hold her in - and I hope she also knows that I debated her in mutual respect, not because I had any real problems the manner in which she performs her duties.

All I can say is- all of you guys have my admiration and respect. And my thanks for doing such a thankless job.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

McGringo says on Jan 31, 2008, 09:52:

I prefer Desideria's yenta approach to moderating.

billyb says on Jan 31, 2008, 09:53:

I don't see any problem with the mods either. You are always going to have people whining about something.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 31, 2008, 10:09:

What's "yenta" approach?

Colombiche, I hadn't seen this thread before, until you pointed it out in "Omophobic" thread.
I believe we are going to get an even spread here; we have some people who have quit the board because we're not strict enough, yet if it had been they who moderated they're first task would've been to delete themselves.

I'm all for free speech, but also for common decency. I have a cultural bias, it looks like, for non-aggressive communication, I hate name-calling and detest hyperbole and all this foaming at the mouth when discussing politics and other sensitive issues. I believe you can speak your mind and call things by their names and yet be decent about it; you don't need to insult your fellow debattors, use cusswords or obscene language to make a point.

More...ltr,
Cheers.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 10:16:

Colomb: I have not had the chance to read all the answers to your post yet, so I am simply going to reply to what I read.
There must be a peice of this puzzle missing? Something that generated this post.

Listen, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please everyone all the time. And some people are just pleasantly miserable. Either way, I think the Mods are doing the best they can with the mess they have to deal with.

ooops! ....Did I say that?

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 31, 2008, 10:57:

Number one has already been tried, prior to 2003. It didn't work.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

gringoloid says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:04:

Fair moderation is measuring everyone by the same stick.

I don't care what style you use, just make sure the same rules apply to everyone.

MaFe says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:18:

BUMP...
but some people also have to realize like Desi said, that we might have different opinions, express them without insults...

"No comment" is a splendid expression. I am using it again and again." -Winston Churchill

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:29:

Gringoloid, may I ask you a question?
If we chose to delete an account because of a personal attack, would it make any difference if the offender was a)a newbie who perhaps came from a non-moderated board where everything goes? b) a long-time established, contributing member, like GIB?
c) a borderline troll who is just wasting everybody's time here like clyde "Papito"?

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

msaucey says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:33:

I think you guys rock and are doing a fine job....

With as much b.s. as goes on in the world and on-line... this should not even have to be a post just because of it's absurdity...

The factor that some people are just plain childish and like to point fingers and name call is absurd and that you all get the Big Bucks of $0000 for babysitting the board and cleaning up is a tough job and you all do your best at drawing the line when it needs to be drawn...

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

adrimm says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:35:

Great post Colomb!

msaucey says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:42:

This is the internet... Who said free speech exists in cyberspace?....

It is of your own choice what sites you choose to participate....
Everyone should read the Rules before joining any type of site....

The RULES

This site brings together a large community of people with an interest in Colombia. When you write things, follow these two simple rules: (adapted from webdesign-l policies)

No personal attacks.
Stay on topic (Colombia).
In other words, do NOT post:

questions about where to 'find women'
racist, sexist or homophobic comments
harassing or 'stalking' any other person
personal attacks on others
personal details or private information about any other person
postings made under another person's name or impersonating another person
commercial advertising
excessively coarse language
If you don't follow the rules your post may be deleted or you may be banned from posting.

No personal attacks.

Attacking someone’s argument is accepted, even encouraged. Attacking the person who made the argument is unnecessary. We are all here to learn, and none of us can do that while we’re calling each other names or questioning one another’s intelligence. Read other members’ arguments carefully and respond to the points they make, not to their wording or to them personally. Everyone will learn more that way.

We also don't allow attacks on groups of people (women, men, americans, colombians, ...). You can talk about groups of people, that's fine, just don't attack them.

Stay on topic.

The topic of this website is Colombia. It's ok if you start discussing other stuff now and then, but try to stay on topic. If you start a discussion that's off topic to start with I can delete it.

Also note that this is NOT a dating site. It is ok to discuss your personal life (as it relates to Colombia), but this is not the right place to ask where you can find dates.

Don't feed the trolls.

Some people just enjoy starting trouble. They’ll intentionally post false or controversial material, usually worded in a provocative manner, just to get others to pay attention to them. This is known as “trolling‿ and is regarded by some as an art form. We disagree. We think it is dull entertainment for simple minds. We prefer to ignore the trolls until they crawl back under their bridge, and we would prefer that you do likewise.

Keep private email private.

No matter how nasty someone gets in private, how certain you are that they sent the message privately by mistake, or how relevant you think a private message is to the rest of the list, if a message was sent privately to you, treat it as personal correspondence and keep it private. To do otherwise makes you look untrustworthy and childish.

If someone is harassing you off-list and refuses to stop, contact me.

Note that this also applies to the 'Inbox' you have here on Poorbuthappy.

Be respectful of others’ sensitivities and backgrounds.

There is a wide range of cultures represented on this site. What might pass for “refreshingly direct‿ in your hometown may be horribly rude to someone from another state or nation.

Also, try to remember that while this is mostly an English-language site, not everyone on it speaks English as their first (or even second) language. That semi-coherent typo-ridden rant may not have come from a boorish illiterate, but someone living on an island in the middle of the Pacific who speaks French, Russian, Japanese and Arabic fluently, but only just started learning English three months ago.

Do not spam.

Do not post commercial messages. You may provide a link to your website, if it's new to us, but don't use this site for blatant self-promotion or spam. It will be deleted.

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

Catfish35 says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:45:

hmmmm, still here Ernie.

"I refuse to have a battle of intelligence with an unarmed person, therefore I will just speak as the simpleton you have come to love"

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:49:

Mssauc: Maybe we should set up a "thank you" party for all the hard working Mods?

ooops! ....Did I say that?

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:53:

GIB: Who is this masked man harrassing you? I was harrassed for months too...still got a pulse - I just pushed the ignore button - Agent 99 out.

ooops! ....Did I say that?

msaucey says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:55:

Ernie, you forgot to properly quote...

"Attacking someone’s argument is accepted, even encouraged. Attacking the person who made the argument is unnecessary."

"We are all here to learn, and none of us can do that while we’re calling each other names or questioning one another’s intelligence"

Quoting for your own advantage defeats the purpose.... This is where the issue seems to lay... Reading comprehension skills are a GREAT learned trait....

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

msaucey says on Jan 31, 2008, 11:55:

We should have a Thank you party for the MODS... but, probably in the "Off-Topic" section....

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:01:

OK Ms Sauc: I'm talking about a REAL party. They can pick the place ;) I'll make a post when some people are back and we have a good sample size. The Mods deserve some recognition. Personally I could never do what they do and feel I don't have any right to balk at or judge their decisions. I respect their decisions, as I don't think we truly have the whole true picture on this. I have very little experience in bulletins and postings, this is it for me. But, this kind of has a family like environment. We fight and the parents keep us in line jaja Not only that every Mod I have seen so far....very intelligent comments...fund of knowledge.

ooops! ....Did I say that?

Catfish35 says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:01:

In instances where someone is stalking or just plain harrassing you on the site I think something should be done about that no matter how old or young the poster is. I do not agree with all of GIB posts or views but in his case it is rather obvious! I do believe the man would get an argument or negative rebuttal no matter what or how ridiculous of a post he makes!

But yes, compared to other sites, we are allowed a rather lengthy lead of rope in which some choose to hang themselves with at times!

"I refuse to have a battle of intelligence with an unarmed person, therefore I will just speak as the simpleton you have come to love"

Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:04:

My ten cents is I'm much more discouraged by the trolls on this site than by the occasional flame or disagreement between folks who actually participate and add value.

This board is in constant danger of simply becoming irrelevant because of too many trolls or too many meta-discussions about how Chavez = Hitler or Uribe is a Bush bootlicker, Colombian women are all ____, etc.

If someone is offending or insulting me, that's why there's an ignore button.

webmanco says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:05:

Every thing goes, but once in a while we should turn the lighs on, to organize the mess a little, well and to see who is who. :-)

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:07:

Just for the record, we get about a dozen newbies every day. Only two or three as an avaerage start participating actively. A newbie who seems to know awfully much about other members and is extremely opinionated comes with a red flag attached on the forehead....

Mr. Inbogotá, I don't follow your line of thinking at all. That is not what I said at all. That's your own interpretation of how we interpret our rules. What I'm saying is that long-time members of good standing, with a lot of good, positive contributions are perhaps worth the benefit of doubt that obvious trolls aren't. If that's playing favorites, then be it that way.

Ernie, I have not accused you of being clyde or a troll or anything. Yet you seem to have a very strong opinion about the job we are doing on this board. Most newbies have to hang around for a while before they start complaining.....

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

webmanco says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:09:

There are also many lurkers.

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

gringoloid says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:09:

desi, yes i like questions because i'm bored sitting here studying my spanish.

let me be more specific,.....there have been only two attacks against me in two years, both using sexual slurs, one from catherine b and one from caritadeangel.

both of them totally unwarranted, ....I was just attacking a neocon argument and not the person in the first case........and in the second case, i was attacking a religionist attempting to foist her repressive morality opinions on me.

as a person from nyc i can roll with the punches so everything else i ignored. I think Clyde was funny and I wish he would come back.

my point: if i had made sexual insults against a woman here, I would be kicked off, and fast. Why don't the same rules apply to the women posters?

You know that if you delete an account, they're just going to come back anyway, so what difference does it make?

If anyone deserves a medal around here it is GIB; he politely asked several times for people to stop stalking him. So in answer to your question, I don't care if they're old timers like Miguel Clavo, ....if they add nothing to the site but personal attacks like clavo has done in almost 4000 comments, then they get deleted, (or I get deleted), like any newbie would.

it all comes down to measuring everyone by the same stick....man or woman, young or old, male or female, no matter if you've been seven seconds or seven years.

gringoloid says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:10:

my problem is i've met so many people here in person that i can't attack anyone anymore!!!

Clyde.....where are you???? Please come back!!!!!!

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:11:

MsSauc: BTW - I keep hearing comments that the Mods are predomin. in Scandinavian countries? Not sure - I don't care where we meet up and have a party for them BTW. I'm up for Europa

Cafish: Is that your pic? Good for you BTW. I agree with you on the stalking part. This happened to me and gave me the creeps. (sooo adolescent)

Mr Hwood: Your comments are always short, to the point and well worded. I like the way you put things. I agree ....the button ...push that button baby

ooops! ....Did I say that?

gringoloid says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:14:

well, i can still attack Rayyy........Raayy, at the next party, could you please bring some good German beer instead of that cheap stuff?

Catfish35 says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:14:

No man,
You seriously gotta beef with this. I have to agree with you on this JAJA.. I have only began posting on here about four months ago or so but watched in the shadows for some time. I watched that "stock Market fiasco" post what? Last week, he punched the sheet out of you for awhile and then when you began fighting back you were both threatened with the penalty box! I dunno. He has some good posts as everyone does, but he's got it big with you buddy! You know his mother?

Uhc-chem!

"I refuse to have a battle of intelligence with an unarmed person, therefore I will just speak as the simpleton you have come to love"

msaucey says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:17:

Well, traveling to Europe sure does sound like fun.... But, actually, it's only Desi and Peter out in the farther regions of Europe.... Actually, one thing all the Mods do have in common, I think, is that they live in REALLY cold parts of the world....

So, the party shall and must take place in Colombia, there's no way around it....

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

eywed says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:18:

/.

Ay Hombe!!!!!

Catfish35 says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:18:

It is not so much of attacking one another rather than the chinese water torture of picking around on you like a crab.
And this stuff about "just use the ignore button", why should you have too?

"I refuse to have a battle of intelligence with an unarmed person, therefore I will just speak as the simpleton you have come to love"

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:19:

GIB: I am very sorry to hear you are being harrassed and stalked. You would be offended if TG, HG or I did it instead jajaj (joke only my dear)

Webmanco: See who is who? A bit too close to big brother talk for me, sorry

ooops! ....Did I say that?

Catfish35 says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:25:

You wouldn't know a good Amarone if I hit you in the head with it! Now that would be a terrible waste, why did I say that.? I don't think there is a bad Amarone!

"I refuse to have a battle of intelligence with an unarmed person, therefore I will just speak as the simpleton you have come to love"

msaucey says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:29:

Catfish, sometimes using the ignore button is sooooooo much easier and less stressful then trying to rationalize with some members..... I never had to use it until recently, and I used it on 2 members and everything is much better.... They can post to their hearts desire and I have no clue what they say.... Works really nice... Heck I don't even know if they gave up or are still around...

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

gringoloid says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:29:

Ernie....i don't know who you are/were, but your comment above about me being "one of the bigest mud slingers on the board", is a personal attack that you are complaining so much about.

msaucey says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:30:

GL.... that just goes to show how reading comprehension is a lacking trait that people didn't learn or just conviniently forget.... lol.... who's calling the kettle black...

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:31:

"But, actually, it's only Desi and Peter out in the farther regions of Europe...." It's just me who lives in Europe. Peter is Belgian by birth but lives in USA as far as I know.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

gringoloid says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:34:

When Med Traveller came on the board, he introduced himself, led us to his website, etc., everyone could feel his sincerity right off the bat...........maybe we should have a sticky onhow to enter the forums.

For some, it might be like tryng to take a drink from a fire hose to just jump into a thread or create a post.

And when a newbie asks a question, we should not say, "do a search on pbh". that seems cold.

Catfish35 says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:35:

MS.
I get your point on the "ignore" just may be my testosterone that won't let me push it, same way I can't ask for directions. Butt I am working on it..tanks

"I refuse to have a battle of intelligence with an unarmed person, therefore I will just speak as the simpleton you have come to love"

slguy says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:43:

GL, why not point them at the search function? May not be the same as engaging them in lengthy conversation- but maybe they don't recognize that it's there, and would be interested in seeing the 4,000 previous posts about getting money to colombia, visa options, safety in colombia, etc.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:45:

Desi: Maybe Spain would be a good place for a Mod party? Not too inconvenient - plus En Espanol...think it could happen? Or maybe a cruise in this area and we can send all the complainers pics of the party jajaja
Thanks for the edit button...hmm Peter and Desi in the US, well I guess maybe we could all pitch in and help. Maybe someting for 2009 or 2010?

ooops! ....Did I say that?

slguy says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:49:

a cruise, CG? gotta a slow learning curve, do we? jajajajajajajajjajajajajajajjajajaja

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

sloopskipper says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:51:

"And when a newbie asks a question, we should not say, "do a search on pbh". that seems cold."

A BIG ditto on that one, or "Oh, not again", "doesn't anybody use google search?", or "we discussed that a million times".

Sometimes a simple one sentence answers the question much better than a search that often produces a bunch of meaningless fluff.

msaucey says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:56:

Desi, I think Peter is in Antwerp, Belgium.... based on a recent thread requesting info on a service to ship items from his house to Medellin...

CG... I'm up for Spain....

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

slguy says on Jan 31, 2008, 12:57:

a simple one sentence answer? like "Use the f'ing search function!"? jajajajajaja only kidding - I get your points....

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

Catfish35 says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:00:

Well then that settles that then! Say Marbella? Find a cheap little place there with a small party room?

We can all sleep in? $$$$$$

"I refuse to have a battle of intelligence with an unarmed person, therefore I will just speak as the simpleton you have come to love"

Colombiche says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:11:

Thanks for all your replies.

The Mod appreciation party is a great idea, very nice of you to think of that.

Just a point I wanted to bring to everybody's attention, this site is being read by a lot more people than we think it is. There are regulars, but there are also many lurkers.

I checked on Alexa.com and Poorbuthappy.com has a traffic rank of: 114,574. In a world where millions and millions of websites exists that means a lot of eyes out there are reading the stuff we post.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

slguy says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:13:

what does that mean, CB? 114,574 per day? individuals? separate visits? I'm an idiot about tracking these things....

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

Colombiche says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:25:

Sorry, I should have explained better. That means that out of all the websites on planet earth (or at least the ones that alexa tracks) PBH ranks at the 114,574th site with the most traffic.

Just to give you a couple of points of reference:

JuanValdez.com ranks 556,984
Citytv Bogota rnaks 167,318

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

msaucey says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:26:

WOW.... So, not needed....

This is cyberspace, there is no conference room for MODS to meet and discuss the never ending issues that arise on PBH.....

Evidence #1 and #2 are pretty much the same....

MODS do not have the time to keep track of everyone, including the site owner, because they DO have a life other then PBH... and maybe also be members of other forums...

Ay, que fastidio... I'm done for the day...

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:34:

FYI, Peter has been living in New York for long periods for the past couple of years.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:37:

What does "traffic" mean in this context?
Hits per day?

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

podborski says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:41:

I'd normally be in favour of as free speech as possible, just as my opinion, this is a private site and Peter and the mods can do as they like.

But I've also seen some people make not only death threats, but then also talk about knowing where someone lives, where their children go to school.

That's way beyond what anyone needs to hear or deal with IMHO.

So I think the mods have got it about right, although I don't know why they allowed GIB to be stalked so obviously for so long.

robi666 says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:43:

My thought is that the Mods are doing a very poor job. And I am judging the job and not the persons.

And this forum is suffering a lot from their activity. To the point that the person who are trying to give a good contribution will either develop a troll, insulting, irritating attitude or leave.
Or do both things.

I enjoyed so much John_Stark's way to say things. Crude, direct and so true. I may take his place.

I personally know persons who had to post under different names to not get attacked or decided not to post.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:43:

OK MsSauc, Catfish, Desi et al...friendly folks. I'll post something sometime in Spring to see how this can go in Spain or such, jaja.....Maybe by then we will have a better idea of what is most appropriate - that's why I suggest 2009 - keep posted.

ooops! ....Did I say that?

gringoloid says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:50:

Ernie......what is your point? And a small point at that. Maybe Peter has two homes and is in his usa home currently.

I have a home in the states as well as colombia.

Maybe some people don't want to divulge their whereabouts.

You said you're account was deleted recently;...and you say that i'm a big mudslinger. i'm in my second year and still posting under my original name.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:54:

I'm sorry, ernie, I don't quite get it. What lines? Are you out of line? Yes, I think so. We are volunteering hours and hours of our time every day to help Peter out with this forum.

"How to tip toe around a certain Mod who is either completely out to lunch or a bold faced lier (or both).........Im not suggesting either but merely asking questions.......and not make it an attack, which I am not! THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL ATTACK. I just find your statement above not passing the steaming pile of brown matter test......."

Yes, that is a personal attack.. I take these things very seriously. You were encouraged to speak your mind, not spew venom. This is not what I call a civil debate.

I have no further comments to you, Mr. Troll..

At this point, I'd like people to re-read the original post. This is not about how good or how bad the present moderators are or how well or poorly we are doing our jobs. It's about how would you like to have your forum moderated if at all.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:56:

Honestly, one other feature I'd love would be a "ignore this topic" button to be able to simply make topics gone adrift disappear in my little version of PBH.

Colombiche says on Jan 31, 2008, 13:58:

"My thought is that the Mods are doing a very poor job"

How so? Please be specific.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

podborski says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:03:

I don't think I've ever heard gringoloid say a bad word about anybody. Unlike me jejeje.

For a troll, Ernie is kind of boring. I prefer the humourous trolls.

sloopskipper says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:04:

It is difficult to imagine that the mods tolerate all the bullshit when doing a voluntary "community service" for people who have an interest in Colombia. Why all the hate and venom?

Without them there would be total, rather than partial, pandemonium.

Please take your hatred and insults elsewhere. Many of us are here to simply learn about this country.

sloopskipper says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:08:

Humorous trolls? Now there’s an oxymoron.

Colombiche says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:12:

"At this point, I'd like people to re-read the original post. This is not about how good or how bad the present moderators are or how well or poorly we are doing our jobs. It's about how would you like to have your forum moderated if at all."

Yes, that was the original intent of the post. To huddle together and come up with some good ideas, but it seems like focusing on the negative and pointing fingers so much more fun.

Funny, I have never received a private note from anybody requesting help or trying to do some one on one positive criticism, including some people I considered that I have had friendly exchanges with in the past.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

sloopskipper says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:14:

If nobody moderates, you may as well, just shut it down. It would be totally of no value.

You could rename it the John Stark Memorial Insult Line.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:15:

I'm waiting for robi's answer to your question, colombiche. What a total surprise, I would have never expected that. I have never , ever heard him saying anything about por moderating before.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Colombiche says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:20:

He is not the only one Desi, today I was very surprised to hear some negative criticism from people who I have been have been having cordial exchanges dating back months.... and even then, they never called me (or you I assume) on anything via PM.

That is why I created this thread, so all the critics can offer their advice/tips/observations right here in a common repository where we will know to look for it.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

slguy says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:26:

FWIW- I have contacted peter once, desi once. got prompt responses both times. one with a great outcome..the other in limbo. jajajajajajaja

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

rocinante says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:33:

C - otherwise this place will be a hatemongering free for all.

I think the mods are doing a stand up job. Which is why this is a polular site.

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Peso 1400 by November" Feb 5, 2008

slguy says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:41:

you're a real barrel of laughs, ernie. proud of yourself, are you?

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

sloopskipper says on Jan 31, 2008, 14:44:

The lunatics have taken over the asylum

gringoloid says on Jan 31, 2008, 15:04:

Ernie.......that is a misnomer to say I am a ''favorite gringo" and say whatever I want. I've been warned once publicly and twice on private mail to stop what i'm doing.

I've had at least 6 of my posts demoted or deleted.

If someone from PBH were here in Bogotá and got themselves in trouble, I'd help them out. (And so would other bogotoans). GIB and myself helped a guy here named D_ _ _ who was a victim of a crime.

You have to earn your way here like anything else in life, by posting informative and helpful comments, news you can use, etc. And that is mostly what I've done.

Raay knows I'm just kidding around with him and he does not take my comments with any seriousness whatsoever. Him and his wife are going to be visiting Bogotá and we'll spend some time together.

Try being a little helpful, friendly, informative, and see if that helps.

robi666 says on Jan 31, 2008, 15:54:

Desi: "I'm waiting for robi's answer to your question, colombiche."

Ok, I am back.
Why poor job? Because you do not enforce the rules.

Why I never said anything about it?
Disclaimer: I am not for any rule. I don't give a shit about how they call me on this forum or any forum.
But, or you delete the rules or you enforce them. So, if you ask, you're great persons and you are not paid for it, but you do not know how to do your job.

Finally, Jack_Jason freaked out on the Bogota apartment thread (http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/post/3-men-looking-for-an-apartment-i...) and i suspect that he was having a nerve attack. Too funny.
He admitted that he likes GIB (after he insulted and called him pussy, gay, novia, etc.). Reminds me even more of the American Beauty Coronel when he realizes that he's gay.
He affirmed that with "pussyinbogota, robb111 and chamossini" he did not want to name anyone on this forum.
He is not living in Sicily, he does not speak Italian, like he affirmed on another thread.
His credibility is less than zero... but he can always change his handle, true?

As Miguel_Clavo (where's him?) used to write "my private message field is always open, jack..." (well some sort of)

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

Catfish35 says on Jan 31, 2008, 16:25:

W H O A !

"I refuse to have a battle of intelligence with an unarmed person, therefore I will just speak as the simpleton you have come to love"

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 16:37:

Boys? You still at this?....someone needs a good massage....

ooops! ....Did I say that?

gabolicious says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:13:

vaya! si que había mucho qué decir!

esta ha sido una charla larga eh?

"The new land of opportunities: Colombia!" ----- Mr Miguel_Clavo on PBH

gabolicious says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:23:

oh c'mon nati let the PBHers express the way they feel... they think something has to be done and maybe they are right! =)

"The new land of opportunities: Colombia!" ----- Mr Miguel_Clavo on PBH

manINred says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:32:

You know what makes this site less enjoyable overall?

It isn't the mods, no way. They are a group that actually contributes interesting opinions, insight, and facts that are consistantly of high quality about Colombia.

No, It's the losers who get off being assholes by proclaiming "Canada is Communist" or "immigrants are not real Canadians" or "all colombian women are easy ho-bags" or "Colombian women never hook-up with loser gringos in NA" or "what colombian women really want (because I definitely know...)" etc.............. the list goes on.

It's the assholes that like to insult other people deliberately because they think it's fun, or to insult someone else's beliefs, nation, opinions, or whatever, just because they can, doing so not with rational debate, but with malice and spite.

It's the frigging moron trolls who have no lives and like to come on and spout garbage. I have read some sad stuff here, posts like "it is night time so the trolls can play..." posts that proceed to make a farce of this site. Actually, that sorta behaviour is more pathetic than anything.

I would like to clarify a comment I made earlier. When I said that PHB condones the bigoted garbage that I was subjected to the night before, that was not aimed at the mods. It was aimed at certain members who make up the website and condone it, who find pleasure in watching pointless arguments, and urge the ignoramuses on. Those who do so, condone such behaviour.

And as one mod pointed out to me, moderators will always be the ones who lose out, they can never win. If they are perceived to be taking a side (and there are always such perceptions), they'll only be accused of side-taking, thus a lose-lose situation, whether they act or not. There's a lot of truth to this. I see it every time I come on the site.

Nope, it's the few who get off on lowering the quality of the website by taking cheapshots and being morons that are at fault. Also the idiotic no-live trolls.

Anyway, that's my opinion, for what it's worth.

gabolicious says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:32:

well, right now I am not in DF I am in La Paz Bolivia... there is a PBHer who lives in Mexico DF but she doesnt like it, she says it is so huge and polluted that she is not willing to live there any longer hahahahahahahaha....

"The new land of opportunities: Colombia!" ----- Mr Miguel_Clavo on PBH

gabolicious says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:36:

manINred I agree with your comment regarding "some" people's posts... anyway we are not mods... nevermind

"The new land of opportunities: Colombia!" ----- Mr Miguel_Clavo on PBH

gabolicious says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:41:

oh yeah my dear!!! food!!! so DELICIOUS!!!! I like mexican food even more than colombian and argentinian... hahahaha

"The new land of opportunities: Colombia!" ----- Mr Miguel_Clavo on PBH

manINred says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:44:

And as a one final comment, when I said that mods enhance the website with interesting info, etc... I did not mean that it is only them who do so. Many, perhaps even most other people who write on here do as well.

billyb says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:47:

Imagine that, a city with people everywhere.

gabolicious says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:54:

Oh yeah I've seen many posts with useful information and posts written by people always willing to help, and respectful PBHers who state their point of view without being rude... being sincere does not necessarily mean "rude"...

There are also "funny" or entertaining comments such as Elmo's (but I have to admit his posts break some PBH rules).

I personally think that we should not take it that personal... in my opinion we are all cyber entities, we don't use our real names, we don't share personal experiences as we would share with real friends... until I meet a PBHer in person my mind will change and if later I am attacked by him (or her) THEN only THEN I will take it as a personal attack...

"The new land of opportunities: Colombia!" ----- Mr Miguel_Clavo on PBH

Catfish35 says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:57:

I'll take that massage if no one else wants it.....sheeeeeeit!

"I refuse to have a battle of intelligence with an unarmed person, therefore I will just speak as the simpleton you have come to love"

goin_south says on Jan 31, 2008, 18:57:

Cg... please! don't ever put me on ignore
... because, I don't know how to....



jaja... well. just to take a lil edge off of this post...

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

scotty says on Jan 31, 2008, 19:05:

i can see where there is a need for some sort of supervision of the boards. I dont think you can just let the boards be a do whatever you want, anytime you want to do it. There has to be someone watching over what is happening and being said.
However my experience on a couple of occasions has been that some times the mods can be just as bad as anyone else and on occasion even worse since they have no one to watch them. we need a committee, or group or someone to make sure the mods dont get out of control.

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

goin_south says on Jan 31, 2008, 19:09:

I wonder what percentage of the writing/posts/time on pbh is now relegated to items like this post, and whining, bitching, bemoaning, trollin/feedin 'm.... (Too Much!) This is afterall, what got UTC to the end point of j_s.... tired of all the chit...

(Not meant to dys- Colombiche at all; she's obviously a good, concerned mod... but, as someone else wrote,.. this post should really be unnecessary.)

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

robi666 says on Jan 31, 2008, 19:24:

Going back to the original post, I vote for a) free speech.
Totally unmoderated, just like it is now.

By the way, the poor Medellin_Traveler is taking his dose of shit from our friend Ernie in another thread...

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

manINred says on Jan 31, 2008, 19:34:

How do you put in videos like that goin_north?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Be6jlCuMvVQ

For example. Some Colombians are trying to get me into these guys. Dunno if I dig them, but the message is a good one.

And robbi, if he is taking his dose of shit, that's the type of stuff I was talking about... whoever's dishing it out detracts from the quality. Case in point.

Colombiche says on Jan 31, 2008, 19:50:

Ernie is gone.. poof!! See how easy that was?

And robi if the board was unmoderated as you claim it would be a zoo. You just don't see the work we do behind the scenes.. Your criticism rather than constructive, was rather harsh, but thanks for speaking up.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

robi666 says on Jan 31, 2008, 19:53:

Colombiche, I push you for doing better job :-)
And sorry for being harsch, I told you I love you all. I'll try to help and be constructive, but let me play sometimes...

Again, my point is that personally I would not mind it being a zoo, but the quality on here would be much higher with a rigid enforcement of the rules.
It's heart and mind like everytime... heart for the zoo, mind for the rules.

So, you see someone breaking the rules? Gone immediately. Did you need Ernie to bash out Medellin Traveler before deleting him? You could see it coming...
Pull the trigger without worrying too much, that's what happens in other forums.

There are at least five other trolls, for what I read, on this board right now. You have the IP addresses, so you are in a better position to judge than mine, but I can see it. Go for them and clean the board, then. No regrets.
We can accept casualties :-)

You want to hear more? I have been into computer business for too long to not understand that Peter did a wrong job when he "speeded up" posting. Too long to explain it here...
Now, instead of using his few time for that idiot feature (sorry Peter), why doesn't he write a tool to detect duplicated IP addresses (ten minutes to do it)? A troll is not wasting his time hiding his IP and changing it everytime he posts under a different handle.
Analyze the list. You have it!

You delete the wrong person? A couple of emails and an apologize will make it.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

Robert Jorge says on Jan 31, 2008, 20:48:

Gringoloid, I attacked you once. Well, if you count me calling you a nena when I was drunk on Busch Light an atack. jajaja

goin_south says on Jan 31, 2008, 20:52:

jeeeze, jorge; glad you weren't drinking the Heavy Stuff!

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

goin_south says on Jan 31, 2008, 20:54:

goin_north???
Hey manINred, wtf are you drinking? busch light?

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

manINred says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:28:

lol! nar, i just figured that if you go far south enough, at one point or another you'll have to go back north...

goin_south says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:32:

well, guess i've been goin_for quite awhile,... yer right! must be about past the tip of Chile/Argentina by now....

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:37:

manINred: Respectively asking here...I just took a good look at your Avatar - eeek. What is it? What does it represent? there must be a story behind that buxom woman with her skirt up

ooops! ....Did I say that?

goin_south says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:38:

That's some 'Botero' artistry, si?

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:41:

Yes....and she appears to be "falling" south from the look of it

ooops! ....Did I say that?

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:42:

Or is that really just a big man in drag jajaja (did I say that - oops)

ooops! ....Did I say that?

manINred says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:43:

well, this is the famous paisa Botero's work as goin_south pointed out.

CatGirl, I assume the lady represents the ordinary civilians of Colombia that have been turned upside down and thrown about by the violence inflicted upon them by the paraco/guerrilla standing firmly on the ground (perhaps representing the deeply ingrained nature of the conflict) in front of the Colombian symbols: the country map and flag.

That's my take on it.

manINred says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:51:

Mind you I could be out to lunch though

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:51:

Hmmmm...that's an interesting artistic assumption. The garters for some reason seem to have some significance I am sure. Also the fact that this lady looks like once she lands....she could probably take him out, given her stout stature.

ooops! ....Did I say that?

manINred says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:56:

Haha, very true CatGirl. Botero has a propensity to paint fat people. If you look at a variety of his work, everyone's fat. He doesn't call them fat, but it's just his style. I don't know whether her stout nature represents anything different from the rest of the stout-natured characters that appear in his work, but the stockings could very well be significant. I couldn't tell you how though... perhaps just visually strengthening the allusion to overall chaos that ordinary civilians are subjected to at the hands of paracos/guerrilla?

goin_south says on Jan 31, 2008, 21:58:

well,... perhaps we should call on our friend: analyzethis1... si?

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 22:00:

Maybe its just to reveal that there is something of significance holding up those bold Queen sized stockings and they are NOT coming down, even after a great fall, jaja

ooops! ....Did I say that?

manINred says on Jan 31, 2008, 22:03:

well, perhaps! maybe the dignity and pride of the people will still remain intact, thus the stockings stay :)

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 22:08:

GS - pleeze no. I saw that post. Too much codependency in that one. No...pleeze no

ooops! ....Did I say that?

goin_south says on Jan 31, 2008, 22:12:

naaawh. Analyzethis1 is a good soul, tyring to help. That's all.

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

CatGirl says on Jan 31, 2008, 22:21:

Yes..I agree. The subject is very strong too. Problem is, he is trying to help in an area he has very little control over - even if he wasn't in Canada. Teenagers...hormonally impaired. He'd be better off going up against Hillary and winning. Sorry to say. My heart bleeds, but I know where I can't help. He should too. Hope he's not disappointed finding out she gets pregnant after all the work he's put into this. I can;t look.

ooops! ....Did I say that?

webmanco says on Feb 1, 2008, 04:12:

Hey Medio Pato don´t feel so left out.

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

Albatross says on Feb 1, 2008, 04:28:

A... 100% Free Speech

"Number one has already been tried, prior to 2003. It didn't work." - Desi

What do you mean, it didn't work ?
Did PBH expode in a storm of insults and profanity ?... did it whither and die ?... did members start killing each other or themselves ?

How exactly does moderation make the conversatation better ?

The way I see it, everyone has the right to say whatever they want...
(of course, everyone else has the right to think they're an asshole for saying it.)

As a child, I remember the saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me".
Maybe it's time for the PC "adults" to show the strength their children had.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

Grongo says on Feb 1, 2008, 04:33:

A! Then we are free to insult each all day :)

gringoloid says on Feb 1, 2008, 06:23:

Robert Jorge....I knew I was going to get reemed by all of the Marlboro Men and John Wayne types here when I suggested a mudslide shooter......vodka, Baileys, Kahlua, and a dash of grenadine. I guess I deserved that attack!

Desideria (Moderator) says on Feb 1, 2008, 09:49:

Albatross, I wish Peter was making this comment himself instead of me. The site turned into a nightmere and that was the reason why he started it all over and made everybody register, before that the most common user handle here was "anonymous". It turned into a battlefield of trolls and bored teenagers; not the great travellers' forum it was intended.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Desideria (Moderator) says on Feb 1, 2008, 10:06:

I wish to thank you guys for your support to the mod team and you guys who think we suck, well what can I say except that picture yourself in our shoes and give yourself a pat in the back.

When Colombiche started this thread I had some hopes of seeing a little constructive criticism and some fresh, new ideas how you preferred to have this board moderated, but instead we got a returning troll telling us how bad we were, some established members that we thought were reasonably happy with us telling us how much we sucked, but on the sacles, much positive fedback and recogintion for our effort to keep this board functional.

The outcome was pretty much as I thought it would be, refeering to the original questionof the post. Some people do not want to be moderated at all and have a thick skin and would prefer to weather the storm without any intervention from mods. Some others think we should be srticter and go by the book; one two three strikes and you're out. The majority seems to agree, thought, that some moderation is necessary to keep the site functional.

I want to make one small clarification. We are different individuals and with a slightly different criteria, but a common policy. It's only trolls that are kicked out without warning and without consulting with each other. Any established member (and I mean established not just in seniority but the quality and amount of useful contributions) deserves to be warned before showing him/her the highway. For me, at least, the quality and standards of this forum are a number one priority.
And as, Elmo would say,
thank you!

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

slguy says on Feb 1, 2008, 10:23:

"Any established member (and I mean established not just in seniority but the quality and amount of useful contributions) deserves to be warned before showing him/her the highway"

I guess the interesting part of this statement is "warned" - as in how many times constitutes sufficient warning prior to doors banging on asses, before it becomes obvious that warnings aren't working?? ;) twice? 5 times? 30? depends on the relative value of the non-offending posts, I guess.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

Desideria (Moderator) says on Feb 1, 2008, 10:41:

By warning I mean private, personal warning by e-mail. Not a slap on the wrist or a plea to keep it civil.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

slguy says on Feb 1, 2008, 10:45:

cool. none of my business, really. only mildly curious, Des. ;)

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

Mr. Hollywood says on Feb 1, 2008, 11:44:

Just to be clear, I'm very thankful for the effort you mods put into this board.

CatGirl says on Feb 1, 2008, 11:52:

Yes...I agree with Mr H - and that special button I pushed made this thread look all the better - LOL

ooops! ....Did I say that?

Peter (Moderator) says on Feb 1, 2008, 12:01:

Guys, I read this ENTIRE thread (well, most of it), thanks for all the thoughts! With all the problems, this forum still rocks, and its all because of you, and the moderators. I've been extremely busy at work, but I'll be spending some time on the site again in Feb.

Thanks again all!

Poor but snappy

kalder says on Feb 1, 2008, 12:05:

Gent.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

goin_south says on Feb 1, 2008, 14:04:

and, thank you, Peter; how incomplete our lives would be .... without PBH.

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

podborski says on Feb 1, 2008, 14:11:

yes, thanks Peter.

p.s. hope my remarks were not misunderstood, I think the mods do as good a job as possible, with just the one exception I mentioned, so that's pretty good.

robi666 says on Feb 1, 2008, 16:10:

"you guys who think we suck, well what can I say except that picture yourself in our shoes and give yourself a pat in the back. " When Colombiche started this thread I had some hopes of seeing a little constructive criticism and some fresh, new ideas how you preferred to have this board moderated, but instead we got a returning troll telling us how bad we were, some established members that we thought were reasonably happy with us telling us how much we sucked, but on the sacles, much positive fedback and recogintion for our effort to keep this board functional."

With all that bitterness, you may be taking it the wrong way, Desideria. I gave some practical hints, and I hope that you red it.
It feels like you just wanted to hear how great you are...

About the troll, well you deserved it. You did not get more than a small fraction of what, for example, GIB got in the past two days and you could have had him deleted a long time. It was enough to put yourself in a bad mood.

I never judged your work, never posted anything about asking your intervention, never emailed you asking to do something. And I'll probably keep it this way.
But Colombiche posted a thread and asked about what we thought about moderation and I thought about writing down my thought on PBH.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

Man Tequila says on Feb 1, 2008, 18:16:

I´ve always said the moderators did a very good job. I think Robi had a very valid point in his original post, and it seems most of the moderators did too. I think it is now unfair of him to say the board is ummoderated or that it is a free for all, no one is perfect and the moderators made it very clear they could be contacted privately in an ambiguous situation.

ManInRed summed up my thoughts quite well. Obviously the moderators need to use discretion in enforcing the rules that already exist. I don´t see the examples Robi originally gave as being a particularly difficult call, and I would have banned the propogator. In the long run, of course, it is not that big a deal.

pues se me antoja que sus cantares son de una tierra desconocida, y yo le dije si a usted le inspira, saber la tierra de donde soy... con mucho gusto y a mucho honor...

robi666 says on Feb 1, 2008, 18:31:

the "unmoderated" comment was just a provocation MT :-)

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

Man Tequila says on Feb 1, 2008, 18:38:

Know what you mean. I said something like ¨why are the moderators against free speech¨, which they CLEARLY are not. It might have been misinterpreted. It was meant to be ironic and facetious, but was probably just a little dumb. My apologies. If they read this. ;)

In medical school, I was asked to speak to the Dean when I slipped this line into one of the ten essays we had to do that year: ¨None of us really believe that the markers read these in detail anyway¨. He thought it was terribly inappropriate. Once a chit disturber?

pues se me antoja que sus cantares son de una tierra desconocida, y yo le dije si a usted le inspira, saber la tierra de donde soy... con mucho gusto y a mucho honor...

podborski says on Feb 1, 2008, 21:42:

man t you just reinforce my belief that colombia tends to attract people who are not exactly 'by the book', which is a very good thing IMHO, but some people are waaaaay out there

billyb says on Feb 1, 2008, 21:50:

I agree, MTequila is out of control ;))

podborski says on Feb 1, 2008, 21:52:

one day, billyb, you me and man t are gonna get drunk together and have one hell of a good laugh.

Let's hope it's in cali?

slguy says on Feb 1, 2008, 21:55:

am I invited? ;)

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

goin_south says on Feb 1, 2008, 21:55:

hey I-Pod, every party needs a 'medio patico'

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

podborski says on Feb 1, 2008, 22:01:

even better, slguy and patico too.

I'm a little drunk you see, trying to type the bare minimum before I collapse, it's freakin' 4 am here

slguy says on Feb 1, 2008, 22:03:

I'm a lot drunk, in mourning.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

podborski says on Feb 1, 2008, 22:03:

and gringoloid, no party can be without gringoloid (and his step daughter jaja)

billyb says on Feb 1, 2008, 22:04:

For sure Pod. SL it wouldn't be a party with out a drunken sailor ;) i'll be in cali march to early april, if any of you are going to be there (patico?) let's get together. although i'll be doing family stuff at the fincas and Pereira the first week, i am free in cali thereafter, and drinks the first night are on me.

goin_south says on Feb 1, 2008, 22:07:

March is looking more in favor.
But... and... I really have my sights on Cali Feria this year.
I don't think there's too many arms to twist for that one anymore in the future.

why can't the freakin Chung King Chinese just LEAVE THE FREAKN DOLLY LLAMA and Tibet ... ALONE!

podborski says on Feb 1, 2008, 22:07:

billy, I don't know the exact date, but we're going to do that.

I'll buy drinks the 4th night (when no one can take any more, being as I'm a tacano canadian and all)

slguy says on Feb 1, 2008, 22:07:

I'd like that a lot! (but I'm thinking I need to see pics of the stepdaughter - so I know whether to be sporting my eye patch or not!)

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

billyb says on Feb 1, 2008, 22:11:

(when no one can take any more, being as I'm a tacano canadian and all)

Pod, does that have to do with so many canucks having scottish extraction??

podborski says on Feb 1, 2008, 22:11:

well no one's confirmed it, but I am gullible enough to believe that #5 in the medellin photos thread might have been related to gringoloid's girlfriend??

as I type this I am thinking I really have no idea what I am talking about