USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Foxfyre]

Re the Coffee Shop, on our fifth birthday on 5-4-15 I had a discussion with C_K re the Coffee Shop and we mutually agreed it was time to unsticky it. The way the board software works, the sticky placed us over the forum rules sticky and that made us pretty invisible to newbies who might want to check us out. And there was also the perception (or sometimes meanspirited accusation) that we were somehow 'favored' and 'privileged' and couldn't make it without that. Taking the sticky off and allowing the Coffee Shop to sink and swim on its own merits took away that kind of criticism.

IMO the Coffee Shop is a place where ideology, politics, religious arguments, baiting, flaming, and other mean spirited, judgmental, or unnecessarily controversial topics just isn't present and people are welcome here whether left, right, somewhere in the middle, or whatever religion or whether they're yankees, southerners, or live elsewhere on the planet.

And if we aren't what people are looking for on a message board any more, then oh well. We've had an amazing run. I'll be here as long as anybody else values the Coffee Shop and what we have had and have here.

So once again the whining of a few malcontents dictates the actions of the majority. Man I hate that.

I think the CS will have a long life, because I haven't been around much lately, but one or two trips out onto the open board and I'm quickly reminded how absolutely revolting so many of the posters here are, and thus also reminded just how valuable this place is as a refuge.

No it was not the whining of the malcontents that caused it. (They all moved on elsewhere.)

It was the fact that so many newbies who checked into the Lounge forum would see the other threads there but they didn't see us because we were stuck up there above the forum rules. If we don't attract a few new folks now and then, we will die sooner or later from attrition--which is why I am so appreciative of our 'regulars' who welcome, include, and make new folks feel at home here. (Ignoring folks is almost worse than being mean to them.)

And, if I am brutally honest, it was a matter of pride for me too. I hated the perception that the Coffee Shop was successful because we had special privileges that others didn't have. I want us to be successful because we ARE special.

So I'm hoping those who are taking sabbaticals from the Coffee Shop will choose to return again. I miss regular posts from WQ and Nosmo and Aqua and Sheila and Boedicca and Alan and Ollie and Bloodrock and Hossfly and BBD and Westwall and Spoonie etc. etc. etc. (If you have ever been a CS regular and didn't get named, just chalk it up to Foxfyre's instant recall deficiency and don't assume you were/are less important to me.) I am sorry for any misunderstandings or hurt feelings of those who left in anger, but there is nothing I can do about that either. Everybody isn't going to love us.

So on we go. I hope with all my heart that those of you who are and have been Coffee Shop regulars and appreciate what the Coffee Shop is know how much genuine affection I feel for all of you and how much I have enjoyed getting to know you. And thanks to all who have stuck it out during the tough times and good times. Just keep up the good work.

 

[saveliberty]

If we were a meritocracy here at USMB, we'd have all the special privileges. As it is, rapier wit will win the day....

 

[Foxfyre]

If we were a meritocracy here at USMB, we'd have all the special privileges. As it is, rapier wit will win the day....

LOL ya think? I would like to think people who enjoy a place like the Coffee Shop are the kind of people who make a message board worth participating on.

 

[Gracie]

Good morning everybody. Rain overnight that was not forecasted for us but was welcome--friends and relatives in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas who are now measuring rainfall in FEET, instead of inches, are not welcoming much more rainfall that is forecast for them. Noted severe flooding in Colorado too. Wish the states that don't need all that rain could push some of it back west, especially into the exceptional and severe drought areas of California. We still have areas of drought but are no longer in the exceptional or severe categories anywhere in the state.

And today is Memorial Day and all that represents.

We're looking at more rain today. I'm cooking 25 pounds of ribs and chicken today and it looks like I'll get wet doing it.

New project, Ernie! Build a gazebo with open sides but solid roof!

 

[Gracie]

Re the Coffee Shop, on our fifth birthday on 5-4-15 I had a discussion with C_K re the Coffee Shop and we mutually agreed it was time to unsticky it. The way the board software works, the sticky placed us over the forum rules sticky and that made us pretty invisible to newbies who might want to check us out. And there was also the perception (or sometimes meanspirited accusation) that we were somehow 'favored' and 'privileged' and couldn't make it without that. Taking the sticky off and allowing the Coffee Shop to sink and swim on its own merits took away that kind of criticism.

IMO the Coffee Shop is a place where ideology, politics, religious arguments, baiting, flaming, and other mean spirited, judgmental, or unnecessarily controversial topics just isn't present and people are welcome here whether left, right, somewhere in the middle, or whatever religion or whether they're yankees, southerners, or live elsewhere on the planet.

And if we aren't what people are looking for on a message board any more, then oh well. We've had an amazing run. I'll be here as long as anybody else values the Coffee Shop and what we have had and have here.

So once again the whining of a few malcontents dictates the actions of the majority. Man I hate that.

I think the CS will have a long life, because I haven't been around much lately, but one or two trips out onto the open board and I'm quickly reminded how absolutely revolting so many of the posters here are, and thus also reminded just how valuable this place is as a refuge.

No it was not the whining of the malcontents that caused it. (They all moved on elsewhere.)

It was the fact that so many newbies who checked into the Lounge forum would see the other threads there but they didn't see us because we were stuck up there above the forum rules. If we don't attract a few new folks now and then, we will die sooner or later from attrition--which is why I am so appreciative of our 'regulars' who welcome, include, and make new folks feel at home here. (Ignoring folks is almost worse than being mean to them.)

And, if I am brutally honest, it was a matter of pride for me too. I hated the perception that the Coffee Shop was successful because we had special privileges that others didn't have. I want us to be successful because we ARE special.

So I'm hoping those who are taking sabbaticals from the Coffee Shop will choose to return again. I miss regular posts from WQ and Nosmo and Aqua and Sheila and Boedicca and Alan and Ollie and Bloodrock and Hossfly and BBD and Westwall and Spoonie etc. etc. etc. (If you have ever been a CS regular and didn't get named, just chalk it up to Foxfyre's instant recall deficiency and don't assume you were/are less important to me.) I am sorry for any misunderstandings or hurt feelings of those who left in anger, but there is nothing I can do about that either. Everybody isn't going to love us.

So on we go. I hope with all my heart that those of you who are and have been Coffee Shop regulars and appreciate what the Coffee Shop is know how much genuine affection I feel for all of you and how much I have enjoyed getting to know you. And thanks to all who have stuck it out during the tough times and good times. Just keep up the good work.

Actually, FF, I was having a discussion with someone recently about this place (NOT in pm. This was not online at all) and I told her that I wished the board I was on had MORE coffee shop mentality because the bad was starting to outweigh the good. Being a libra, my scales are all wacked and uneven lately. And those scales are kinda heavy to carry around.

 

[Foxfyre]

Re the Coffee Shop, on our fifth birthday on 5-4-15 I had a discussion with C_K re the Coffee Shop and we mutually agreed it was time to unsticky it. The way the board software works, the sticky placed us over the forum rules sticky and that made us pretty invisible to newbies who might want to check us out. And there was also the perception (or sometimes meanspirited accusation) that we were somehow 'favored' and 'privileged' and couldn't make it without that. Taking the sticky off and allowing the Coffee Shop to sink and swim on its own merits took away that kind of criticism.

IMO the Coffee Shop is a place where ideology, politics, religious arguments, baiting, flaming, and other mean spirited, judgmental, or unnecessarily controversial topics just isn't present and people are welcome here whether left, right, somewhere in the middle, or whatever religion or whether they're yankees, southerners, or live elsewhere on the planet.

And if we aren't what people are looking for on a message board any more, then oh well. We've had an amazing run. I'll be here as long as anybody else values the Coffee Shop and what we have had and have here.

So once again the whining of a few malcontents dictates the actions of the majority. Man I hate that.

I think the CS will have a long life, because I haven't been around much lately, but one or two trips out onto the open board and I'm quickly reminded how absolutely revolting so many of the posters here are, and thus also reminded just how valuable this place is as a refuge.

No it was not the whining of the malcontents that caused it. (They all moved on elsewhere.)

It was the fact that so many newbies who checked into the Lounge forum would see the other threads there but they didn't see us because we were stuck up there above the forum rules. If we don't attract a few new folks now and then, we will die sooner or later from attrition--which is why I am so appreciative of our 'regulars' who welcome, include, and make new folks feel at home here. (Ignoring folks is almost worse than being mean to them.)

And, if I am brutally honest, it was a matter of pride for me too. I hated the perception that the Coffee Shop was successful because we had special privileges that others didn't have. I want us to be successful because we ARE special.

So I'm hoping those who are taking sabbaticals from the Coffee Shop will choose to return again. I miss regular posts from WQ and Nosmo and Aqua and Sheila and Boedicca and Alan and Ollie and Bloodrock and Hossfly and BBD and Westwall and Spoonie etc. etc. etc. (If you have ever been a CS regular and didn't get named, just chalk it up to Foxfyre's instant recall deficiency and don't assume you were/are less important to me.) I am sorry for any misunderstandings or hurt feelings of those who left in anger, but there is nothing I can do about that either. Everybody isn't going to love us.

So on we go. I hope with all my heart that those of you who are and have been Coffee Shop regulars and appreciate what the Coffee Shop is know how much genuine affection I feel for all of you and how much I have enjoyed getting to know you. And thanks to all who have stuck it out during the tough times and good times. Just keep up the good work.

Actually, FF, I was having a discussion with someone recently about this place (NOT in pm. This was not online at all) and I told her that I wished the board I was on had MORE coffee shop mentality because the bad was starting to outweigh the good. Being a libra, my scales are all wacked and uneven lately. And those scales are kinda heavy to carry around.

I understand. There have been times over the last five years I have seriously considered throwing in the towel and leaving. It was the great people I have gotten to know here in the Coffee Shop that is the reason I am still here. Each time they have helped me regain perspective and allowed me to accomplish an attitude adjustment.

There is nothing we can do about the really thin skinned or those who are obviously just waiting for an excuse to accuse or trash us. Grown ups can shrug off or wag a finger at the occasional 'slip' when somebody violates a Coffee Shop rule in a minor way, forget it, and move on. But some lose it and violate in a major way or intentionally do so and I (and others) have very occasionally had to call in the mods to handle those infrequent situations.

And then there are the misunderstandings. One member left, or said it was the reason for leaving, because I posted a cartoon the member took personally. I didn't have the member in mind in any way, shape, or form when I posted it, and if I had thought there was any chance anybody would take it personally, of course I wouldn't have posted it. But there is no way to convince that person that it wasn't about that person. (I think the person had some encouragement to believe the worst.) For some people, their initial perception is everything and they will never give the other person an opportunity of any kind to explain or defend himself/herself or allow the other person any slack whatsoever.

Some folks have a perpetual chip on their shoulder and constantly dare people to knock it off. They are welcome here, but they'll have to express their dare somewhere else. And I don't want folks knocking off those chips in the Coffee Shop.

 

[Gracie]

I had a gal that left my board (this was long ago) because I said I didn't care for Rosie Odonnell. She had a hissyfit something fierce, and when others said they didn't care for RO either....she went bonkers. Took down her avie, deleted her posts and huffed off. Like...um...ok. And that is all we said, too. "I don't care for Rosie". No bashing. No insulting with bad words. Just " I don't care for".
Reading body language is impossible with just word use, and lots of insecure folks abound. Goes with the flow I guess. It's the new social now. No more tea parties, cruisin' to tunes up and down the strip, no bar hopping, family scattered everywhere so no get togethers....now we rely on the net. Whole new world to learn on how to express oneself.

Personally, I can get ticked at someone, but I forget it after awhile. I don't hold grudges. But not all are like me. Which is good. There only needs to be ONE of Gracie.

 

[Cross]

3 inches of rain in 30 minutes, house was rocking and rolling, storms still forming in Central Texas tornado warnings constant on the cell phones...reminds me of the Memorial Day flooding in 81

 

[Foxfyre]

3 inches of rain in 30 minutes, house was rocking and rolling, storms still forming in Central Texas tornado warnings constant on the cell phones...reminds me of the Memorial Day flooding in 81

Oh wow Cross. Well I hope you have one of those good weather radios that tells you when something is coming, that you're paying attention, and you have a good weather eye yourself for backup.

Hombre (my husband) and I were just talking about what it was like living in Tornado Alley during the active storm seasons. We like living someplace like Albuquerque that doesn't get big hail, damaging winds, tornados, hurricanes, wild fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, incapacitating snows, or landslides. In fact the weather around here is more often than not downright boring. And sometimes we miss the excitement of that adrenalin rush. But not too much.

 

[Cross]

Calming down now... most danger is to newbies trying to cross low water crossings...the peculiar geography of the area makes a flash flood likely and deadly if one isn't careful.

 

[Foxfyre]

Calming down now... most danger is to newbies trying to cross low water crossings...the peculiar geography of the area makes a flash flood likely and deadly if one isn't careful.

• Tornado Warning - Solid Red
• Tornado Watch - Outlined in Red
• Severe Thunderstorm Watch - Outlined in Yellow (solid for warning)

You can see on the current severe weather map where all the major action is. The dark green is flood watches - light green flood warnings. Most right there in central Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas plus right over Ernie's house.

 

[Foxfyre]

I saw this just now and had to post it. It is not only true of many do-it-your-self projects but I have to remind myself of this every time I decide to make a cake from scratch instead of using a mix, when I decide to bake my own bread, make my own pizza from scratch, etc.

 

[eagle1462010]

A lot of heavy rain here today...............heavy winds..............

Saw this on the news tonight...............Just now.......Ft. Lauderdale..............

VIDEO Bounce House Sent Flying by Water Spout

 

[eagle1462010]

Crazy weather lately....................3 kids in bouncer when it went flying via the water spout.

Seems they are ok..............fell out from the get go..............according to the news.

 

[Foxfyre]

Crazy weather lately....................3 kids in bouncer when it went flying via the water spout.

Seems they are ok..............fell out from the get go..............according to the news.

Wow. As I recall, you're in west Florida eagle? Happy you stopped in.

 

[Foxfyre]

If ya'll haven't seen this, it is priceless:

 

[eagle1462010]

Crazy weather lately....................3 kids in bouncer when it went flying via the water spout.

Seems they are ok..............fell out from the get go..............according to the news.

Wow. As I recall, you're in west Florida eagle? Happy you stopped in.

LA.............Lower Alabama...............the news was showing the Ft,. Lauderdale scene on wkrg.

 

[Foxfyre]

Crazy weather lately....................3 kids in bouncer when it went flying via the water spout.

Seems they are ok..............fell out from the get go..............according to the news.

Wow. As I recall, you're in west Florida eagle? Happy you stopped in.

LA.............Lower Alabama...............the news was showing the Ft,. Lauderdale scene on wkrg.

Oh now I remember. You and Ernie live close to each other. But yes, I just saw the video of the waterspout and the bounce house--you could barely see the funnel in the video but clearly saw it lift the bounce house. Terrible for those children and their parents who witnessed it.

 

[eagle1462010]

Crazy weather lately....................3 kids in bouncer when it went flying via the water spout.

Seems they are ok..............fell out from the get go..............according to the news.

Wow. As I recall, you're in west Florida eagle? Happy you stopped in.

LA.............Lower Alabama...............the news was showing the Ft,. Lauderdale scene on wkrg.

Oh now I remember. You and Ernie live close to each other. But yes, I just saw the video of the waterspout and the bounce house--you could barely see the funnel in the video but clearly saw it lift the bounce house. Terrible for those children and their parents who witnessed it.

I guess those throwing the event forgot to secure it properly..........................Luckily they are saying the kids will be okay on the news.....................We've had a ton of rain down here lately............and heavy winds today.

 

[Gracie]

Wow. Sure wish that rain could be dumped in a pipe that leads straight to Calif.