Apology to the members of the PAFOA

[JustinM]

Ok, I've been an asshole lately. I've started shitstorm after shitstorm.

I'm not a very articulate person, so I'll put this as best I can at 1:20am.

I'm sorry for being a dickhead. I've called names, insulted, and forced my opinion on alot of people. It actually bothers me that I'm the guy that everyones hates on PAFOA. And usually shit doesn't bother me. I seriously want to get along with all you guys. PAFOA has quickly become my favorite forum (I spend more time on PAFOA than I do with my fiance, how fucked up is that?), at first I was chased off of the forum by assholes, now, after being invited back by dan and doug, I'm the asshole chasing people off of the forum. I seroiusly just want to get along with you guys. I mean fuck, we're on the best damn forum on the internet IMHO, and I'm tearing it apart. I've pretty much broken off from the "training forums" to hang out on PAFOA, if that says anything. I couldn't sleep because I'm so disgusted with myself and my actione on here lately. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for being a dickhead, and I'm going do stop starting shit and actually try to contribute to the forum. I promise you'll see a big improvement in me.

JM

[Pierce8468]

I have just joined the forum, and really have no idea what your talking about, but I can say this. For any grown man to come out and apoligize like you have, shows a lot! Even though I am clueless to what you are talking about, you just earned my respect!!!!!

[Emptymag]

Sniff... Sniff... You're gonna make me cry man.
Kidding.

Didn't see that coming. Thanks, apology accepted.

Just so you know, when I offered to set up a play date for our Glocks, it was before things got "stirred up" recently and I am STILL willing to meet you and do some shooting. My opinion of you WAS changing (yes, in a slightly negative way), but I figured I'd give you the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes we are not the same people as we appear on a forum.

Funny how many things we can learn here. Even if it's not about firearms.
(ooh. that sounded profound... better think of something funny to say now! crap. it's too early, already used up all my "funny" at the beginning.)

[D-FENS]

Sounds like you need a day at the range. Send me a PM if you want to head out to PMSC this weekend.

Thanks

[Xringshooter]

jmateer,

Thank you for the apology. With your past posts I normally would bypass your replies because of your (attitude?). I will try to look at your posts now with a more open mind.

I do have to take you to task for one thing though - your language. Please don't get me wrong, I have heard (and probably used) worse language (I spent 26 years in the military, not an excuse but information), but it isn't really necessary to use it on these forums. I have learned over the years that you should use the same language on the web, in emails, actually in any correspondence that you would use in a face to face conversation. Most people when spoken to with profanity laced sentences are immediately turned off and most likely will not listen as carefully as needed. The same goes with written conversation. Most people, when reading a response filled with profane and/or vulgar words will stop reading and thus the possibility of missing what the writer is trying to say.

That said I will try to be more tolerant to your musings. "Starting" things on the forum is not necessarily a bad thing, that is what the forum is for, a discourse (not an argument) on various subjcts is what makes a forum interesting to read. If the debates are interesting I may toss in my 2 cents worth from my experiences. If the debates are vulgar, profane and/or contain personl attacks, I typically will not follow them no matter what the subject matter. A lot of information can be obtained by a civil debate/conversation on this forum. There are many people with different experiences, careers and opinions on this forum that readers can refer to to get a different slant on a subject (something that they may not have thought of). Why take the chance on alienating them?

I'll now get off my soapbox (how many people know where that saying came from?) and get my Nomex on for those that wish to debate (flame) MY opinion/position.


Note to danp: keep up the good work, I regulary read 6 forums and consider this one the best for civility and local info that is pertinent to me. I read other forums mostly to get info and to stay up to date on specific firearms and related concerns.

Note to all contributors: Keep it coming, I've learned a quite a few things since I registered and knowing what is going on in the other parts of the state helps:
1. When I talk to politicans locally.
2. Know where to find good places to shoot
3. Find other dealers that I can visit when seeing my kids (Harrisburg and Media areas).

Ron

[JustinM]

Thanks guys. I seriously don't know WTF was wrong with me. I was talking to DanP last night and I was like "wow, I'm a fucking asshole for no good reason".

[billamj]

Originally Posted by jmateer

Thanks guys. I seriously don't know WTF was wrong with me. I was talking to DanP last night and I was like "wow, I'm a fucking asshole for no good reason".

Hey, everyone goes through spells. I definitely accept your apology and hope to get to know you better. Hopefully we can get back to where your posts were some of those that I looked forward to reading because of the helpful information they contained.

[soberbyker]

Originally Posted by Xringshooter

I'll now get off my soapbox (how many people know where that saying came from?)

OOH OOH I KNOW I KNOW, To answer your question I found this little gem on the internet from this website:

http://www.word-detective.com/032602.html

Where does the term "soap box" come from, as in "I'd better get off my soap box"? It's usually said when someone is discussing something they are impassioned by and they go on and on.

Literally speaking, a "soap box" is exactly what it sounds like, a box in which soap, usually loose laundry soap, is shipped. Though today's soapboxes are, like much of today's fast food, constructed of cardboard, up until the middle of the 20th century they were almost universally made of sturdy wood. This sturdiness gave soap boxes a variety of post-shipping uses as storage containers and impromptu seating, and even as the basis of children's homemade racing cars, as employed in the venerable "Soap-Box Derby."

One of the most notable uses of an empty soap box back in the 19th century was as a makeshift speaking platform. Since speakers finding themselves forced to resort to a soapbox were also likely to be incensed by not having a proper speaker's platform (and all the social inequalities implied therein), "soap box" came to be a handy metaphor for a highly charged rhetorical style. By 1907, "soap box oratory" had became a derogatory term for protracted, impassioned, and possibly hyperbolic speechmaking. Still, many people would argue that more truth has been spoken from soap boxes than we'll ever hear on TV.

[Rule10b5]

Originally Posted by jmateer

I was talking to DanP last night and I was like "wow, I'm a fucking asshole for no good reason".

Sounds like you should go to law school

All joking aside, I've never had a problem with your posts. But then again, you've never targeted me and I don't read all the forums.

I did want to comment, briefly, on the whole "PAFOA is the best on the internet" thing -- you're right. Since joining the forum, I've pretty much completely ditched the other half dozen gun forums I was on. The discourse on here seems much more civil, people are more knowlegable, more friendly, open minded, similar in politics, fun, etc. I think it springs from the fact that we're all, for the most part, not as faceless as we would be on another gun board. I've shot with a number of members, and probably unknowingly run into many of you at local ranges. I think that tends to make people more of a "community" than you get on the national boards.

[D-FENS]

Originally Posted by jmateer

Thanks guys. I seriously don't know WTF was wrong with me. I was talking to DanP last night and I was like "wow, I'm a fucking asshole for no good reason".

It's not entirely unusual. Normally you'd never meet or see people on web forums. You should check out shitstorm.org and I use the same user name. I'm a complete and utter prick, to no end. I'm THE Flamewar starter and I love it. It's all about anonymity and shock value. I'm considerably different on this forum as it's a PA forum. I could and hope to meet everyone I meet on here so there's a level of camaraderie involved that keeps me from being a flaming bastard. If you haven't met up with anyone on the board yet, you definitely should. It'll change your perspective a lot. Where-as, in most forums, you'll never meet those people so it doesn't matter.

This isn't to say I don't make pointed statements and express highly unpopular views. I just try to avoid humiliating/pwning the people I'm having a discourse with. If for nothing else but because I may meet them someday and more than likely they'll have a gun

Let me know about a range trip. If you don't know where it is, we can carpool.