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Welcome ‘geezers one and all. For your posting enjoyment, I have decided to open Maurice his very own Angst thread. I do this in the hopes that we can prevent every other topic on the board from morphing into yet another promotion/political/propaganda thread for what ever he is vexed about right now.
So now, without further ado, I present…
’Maurice’ and the Angst of the Day Topic!
Fatguy wrote:No Dragon Con for me. First of all, they won’t let me into your country; but if they did…..getting finger printed and having my picture taken like a common criminal isn’t nice. I am Canadian and should be exempt, but the reality is that I would either be denied or printed and pic.. I ran a story about a busload of kids going down to Washington where the border guards split the Canadians by racial lines and the “darkies” were left behind. No flame here…..this is just reality…..but I have been here before and it is getting tiresome:
Fight For Your Rights
Ok, I deleted the text in the other thread…..sorry. However, the fact remains that I would have driven down to the Con if the border issues were not that bad. Remember, my 71 year old aunt was turned back to Canada due to “security risks” a year or so ago…..so you can guess what would happen to me. It is a valid post for the con…..I believe…..I did not make the policies, but I am bound by them…..and thus the reason I can’t attend.
Maurice
And your objections to the finger printing and picture policy has what to do with Dragon Con?
While I don’t know or care about your *potential* problems with the border partrol, I will point out to you that the finger printing and picture taking are not limited to visitors to this fair land. Many, many banks also do this to fight fraud (v. annoying since I doubt very much if it is ever used until AFTER the fact) and even some stores are starting it, when you make a v. large purchase using a credit card.
Not for me, since I fought this policy in 2002 and since I am more critical of infringements on our rights and freedoms (I guess that is obvious…..); then I would be the biggest hypocirte to go through with the photographing and fingerprinting this time. In Canada, we have no such concerns about terrorism and so these activities really do not exist and has been used by the U.S.A. as a criticism for being “a staging ground” for terrorism – but that is rhetoric – now for the Con.
I believe that most people in the States live in denial about just how much their privacy and rights have been infringed. It is only when outsiders like myself balk at these new procedures and how they infringe on pleasant activities like Dragon Con…..that the unpleasantness rears it’s head.
Even Britain your ally in Iraq…..has less stringent policies regarding tourism and such…..except when the British travel to the U.S.A.. What follows is a quote from a friend who read this thread:
“Anyone in the UK renewing their passport after Oct 2004 will have to pay an extra £65 for a biometric coded passport to travel to US this only applies to travelling to the US an not any other country also it will mean having to go to the American Embassy for a visa . At the present time to enter the US involves being fingerprinted and having your photo taken at immigration. Also we are being forced because of US policy to have armed Sky Marshals on planes that are going to the US a plane destined for Washingtopn was cancelled on 4 days running while the passenger lists were being checked by US authorities who also want to know about payment details of the tickets bought for this flight . And we are supposed to be the USs closest ally . “
Just some fun…..
😀 hmmm, lemme see now; am i upset over the fact that the us is making life difficult for people who might be muslims to come in to the country, or live here, or whatever….when i have to take off my shoes and get pulled aside every time i fly (my levi’s set off the metal detectors apparently) 8) although i am obviously not arab or iranian or muslim…NOT…would i gladly trade the infringement of civil liberties of a few thousand muslims for the people immolated at wtc (pentagon is a ‘military target’ and therefore somewhat understandable) along with the people on the airplanes who had several minutes to understand that they were going to die at the whim of a saudi murderer and his henchmen? YEAH…and how do i feel about the cops and firefighters who got crushed/burned/etc when they went in to do their jobs and try to get people out…You really don’t want to know, fatguy, and you obviously haven’t got a clue for all your bleating about freedom….the first freedom is the right to live without being beaten up or murdered in the name of any stupid religion or political cause…and like it or not, the majority of worldwide terrorism acts in the last 30 years seem to have some muslim element in it (anybody else here remember the 72 olympics in munich? i was a child and i still remember these masked men murdering athletes for their cause)…how about leila khaled and her bullshit rationalizations for hijacking and so forth? we all know all the events, even if there have been so many at this point that they start to blur together…i am sure you have never inflicted bodily harm or screwed over anyone in your life, maurice, but i wonder how much you have done to talk various sympathizers out of their senseless hatred and willingness to kill? all i have seen from you is complaints about how you have been treated, and how evil the us and its soldiers are…it’s enough already, give it a rest
Re FX:
I Am Not Muslim.
My mother was Catholic, I married a Catholic and was married in a Catholic Church. My two sisters are Catholics. I never said I was Muslim, you (possibly had) made that assumption based looks and my last name. My fight for rights applies to ALL members of society, including yours. The reason I started my website was because a U.S. soldier friend of mine could not post his photos from Iraq.
You mention inconvenience for a few as justification for the protection of the collective. This goes against traditional U.S.A. policy that: “Rights must apply to all or they mean nothing”. – Remember that one…..
I have many family members that live in New York – did you know that….. 911 was a tragedy and it would be unsympathetic to not understand some policies in the immediate post 911 time. However, years have past and I still see CNN “terrorist” documentaries two and a half year old….. What is the threat potential – not as high as your government thinks.
My friend in the UK is blond haired and blue eyed and that person is fighting those policies. Many in the States see this as a racial/religious issue, that is the first problem – others do not (at least until they enter the States).
You in the States have be sold a lie from your government – I hear this time and time again from Americans that are too afraid to state this publicly. 911 was used as an excuse to invade a secular society called Iraq due to economic concerns proposed by Cheney(sp) over ten years ago. The Patriot Act and the others were used to promote nationalism and suppress dissent toward the war and to suppress the media. The Democrats ran a commercial comparing Hitler to Bush. While I think this is grossly inaccurate …..we should remember that Hitler burned the Richstade(sp) and used it as an excuse to curtail civil liberties and invade other countries.
Americans can still get their rights back and become good global citizens. It all starts with what each of you Americans do in the voting booth this coming election.
Very nice Maurice, you are catholic. So am I, big whoop. I looked through FX’s post and saw no where that she indicated that you were not.
She stated her wish that they be inconvenienced the same as she was, and also her wish that you spend some time bleating at them to moderate their very visible antisocial behavior instead of beating us over the head with it all the time.
Oh and final point, FX is not a global citizen, she is an American citizen, and a good one at that. She is in a job that is socially needed, she is productive, she is politically active ect….
Apparently a good global citizen is required to offer bogus media accreditation to people who just happen to have some minor writing skills and an active email address? : ) Get a clue.
You need something more than a poorly laid out web page to be able to give out accreditations. Now, should you wish to spend several years gathering writers, who do insightful pieces that are held to the highest standards of journalism that would be a start. Then you could gather a following that includes some real journalist leaders, and only then would you may be in a position to join an accredited writing group and offer media accreditation to your contributors. Right now? You are just a fruit loop with a printer and your accreditation is not worth the paper it is printed on.
You know, I just get so sick of hearing all the whining. If you have to be photographed and fingerprinted to come here so what??? If you are not guilty of anything it shouldn’t matter.
Whine whine whine.
But just as soon as someone blows up a building it’ll be criticism as to why we didn’t protect everyone.
I don’t hate muslims. I don’t hate christians. You are all entitled to your own beliefs. I just hate the people that use their religion to try to make the world your own.
I have always been a middle-of-the-road voter. I have voted democrat and voted republican. Depends on the candidate and what I believe is necessary in that office at that time.
My peronal opinion is that a Democrat in office at this time in history puts our country more at risk from terrorists. THAT is more important to me than whiners who don’t want to be photographed and fingerprinted coming into the country. If I have to be photographed and fingerprinted going to another country, fine. It’s their rules and I AM VISITING THEIR COUNTRY. I follow their rules.
Sorry – felt the great need to vent. I don’t post here often, but I do read the board. And frankly, all Maurice’s whinings get on my last nerves.
Fatguy wrote:I believe that most people in the States live in denial about just how much their privacy and rights have been infringed. It is only when outsiders like myself balk at these new procedures and how they infringe on pleasant activities like Dragon Con…..that the unpleasantness rears it’s head.
Even Britain your ally in Iraq…..has less stringent policies regarding tourism and such…..except when the British travel to the U.S.A.. What follows is a quote from a friend who read this thread:
“Anyone in the UK renewing their passport after Oct 2004 will have to pay an extra £65 for a biometric coded passport to travel to US this only applies to travelling to the US an not any other country also it will mean having to go to the American Embassy for a visa . At the present time to enter the US involves being fingerprinted and having your photo taken at immigration. Also we are being forced because of US policy to have armed Sky Marshals on planes that are going to the US a plane destined for Washingtopn was cancelled on 4 days running while the passenger lists were being checked by US authorities who also want to know about payment details of the tickets bought for this flight . And we are supposed to be the USs closest ally . “
Most people in my generation that I know of are well aware of how stringent security is becoming around us. At times it seems like the government is reverting to Nazi Germany in terms of security checks and other bombastic procedures. They ask to see our papers (ID) on the train, bus…
Speaking of the UK, which I just returned from about 13 hours ago, I did notice a huge difference with paperwork upon entering the UK and the US. The UK paper was just a simple: Name, home address, country of origin. I’ve had more trouble getting from Pennsylvania to New Jersey than I did getting into the UK. Returning home was much different. I had a much longer form to fill out, that asked a bunch of questions in addition to name, address etc. These include, are you carrying any food, plants, soil etc. And another question about how much (in $) stuff you’re bringing into the country. The food questions are for ecological/agricultural security. We do want to limit foreign lifeforms from entering the local enivronment and screwing it up even more. The money question, is for tax purposes. Seeing as how I only bought post cards, “I love London” tshirts, magnets and other tourist crap, it’s no big deal and customs could care less. They however don’t want me bringing major commercial items into the economy, eg designer clothes, electronics, alchoal, tobacco. Since I could resell these items here at a lower price, and have a small impact on the local economy. (Keep in mind that if one person does it, no biggie, but if 500 people do it, it is a major problem, I’m not going to discuss freshman economics here)
Any foreign national (I explicitly asked about this) entering the country has a few other forms to fill out. These are where are you staying, for how long, purpose of visit. The concern here is for immigration purposes.
I’m not defending the system per se, I do prefer the british system, but many of these controls do have a valid reason.
As for your friends comments:
1) fingerprinting et al, applies only to visitors with a visa. Citizens of the UK and most western European countries do NOT have to apply for a visa to travel to the states. Canada (aka the Suburbs)sure as hell doesn’t have to. In fact Canadians are treated as US citizens for customs paperwork purposes!
2) I’m not sure about this new encoded passport thing. US passports don’t have it so why should we require only England to have it?I must commend your friend on being turned away at the Canadian-US border. That is a real accomplishment! You have to TRY to get turned away at the Canadian border. Seriously, it the longest unguarded border in history. Much of it is serperated only by a small stone pillar every 50 ft in the woods. Some places it’s literally as easy as crossing a street.
And to add some more cynicism, Micheal Moore (a hero of yours?) had a show on TV ~10 years ago, where he proved how simple it was to get into/out of Canada. He had people crossing wearing “traditional Canadian outfits” like hockey uniforms with gear, Mountie uniforms, and even a two-man Canadian Moose costume.😮 re Maurice
other people have already spoken eloquently so i will simply clarify;
don’t care what you are; doesn’t matter since, as you know, ‘profiling’ is politically incorrect…to wit, if you are attacked by a hispanic male, you are not to refer to that when making your complaint to the police, and they, apparently, are not to look for hispanic males to solve the crime 8) what a world….
don’t agree with the invasion in iraq , and have said this on this website before (most of the people in the army i hang out with do not agree with the iraq issue either)
do not agree with gross violations of civil liberties, but also cannot credit the fact that people living here for several months had time to train to fly AND TELL THEIR INSTRUCTORS THEY DID NOT NEED TO KNOW HOW TO LAND…and nobody did anything about it…what about all the data that people were supposedly collecting about terrorist plots and training and funding that were occurring right here in the states and nothing was done? maybe we do need more stringent measures
don’t like bush, didn’t like his father or mother, didn’t vote for them
and finally, don’t pull the nyc card on me, i moved here from nyc a month before 911, so obviously i have multiple friends and family there too,not to mention all the cops, firefighters, and ambulance personnel i worked with there daily… so do many of the people on this board; we all pulled together to help each other deal with the pain of it when it happened…this is, however, the first time you have claimed any kinship with the issue; you have proved my point, you bleat about us abuses but this is the first time you have, however remotely, mentioned the tragedy that made the environment ripe for these purported abuses to occur…
Sasha wrote:You know, I just get so sick of hearing all the whining. If you have to be photographed and fingerprinted to come here so what??? If you are not guilty of anything it shouldn’t matter.
Whine whine whine.
But just as soon as someone blows up a building it’ll be criticism as to why we didn’t protect everyone.
I don’t hate muslims. I don’t hate christians. You are all entitled to your own beliefs. I just hate the people that use their religion to try to make the world your own.
I have always been a middle-of-the-road voter. I have voted democrat and voted republican. Depends on the candidate and what I believe is necessary in that office at that time.
My peronal opinion is that a Democrat in office at this time in history puts our country more at risk from terrorists. THAT is more important to me than whiners who don’t want to be photographed and fingerprinted coming into the country. If I have to be photographed and fingerprinted going to another country, fine. It’s their rules and I AM VISITING THEIR COUNTRY. I follow their rules.
Sorry – felt the great need to vent. I don’t post here often, but I do read the board. And frankly, all Maurice’s whinings get on my last nerves.
Thanks for the reply. I have noticed that Americans live in a sheltered “media world”. Sure I protest the official policy set by the United States…..but that policy is the best of all worlds for non-whites.. Your policies are racist and I would never be allowed entry into your country (even though I am a born and raised Canadian)….I have proof. Furthermore, if one was not born in Canada…..but a Canadian citizen traveling on a Canadian passport, I could be shipped of to some foreign country like Syria and tortured and held for twelve months and not have the Americans tell the Canadians what had happened to him:
My uncle is a member of the International Olympic committee and offered free trips to my parents to some games in South America…..however my father was concerned that they may be shipped off to a foreign country on stop over…..so they did not go (they did go to the Manchester games and sat a few seats away for the Prince of Wales…..no problems on that one).
The picture taking and finger printing is onerous enough…..but that is the least of us our worries; Being sent to a hostile country against you will and not being able to tell your family or inform Canadian authorities of your whereabouts in a very real possibility. This issue was supposedly resolved at the Summit Of The Americas.
Headgehog wrote:Fatguy wrote:I believe that most people in the States live in denial about just how much their privacy and rights have been infringed. It is only when outsiders like myself balk at these new procedures and how they infringe on pleasant activities like Dragon Con…..that the unpleasantness rears it’s head.
Even Britain your ally in Iraq…..has less stringent policies regarding tourism and such…..except when the British travel to the U.S.A.. What follows is a quote from a friend who read this thread:
“Anyone in the UK renewing their passport after Oct 2004 will have to pay an extra £65 for a biometric coded passport to travel to US this only applies to travelling to the US an not any other country also it will mean having to go to the American Embassy for a visa . At the present time to enter the US involves being fingerprinted and having your photo taken at immigration. Also we are being forced because of US policy to have armed Sky Marshals on planes that are going to the US a plane destined for Washingtopn was cancelled on 4 days running while the passenger lists were being checked by US authorities who also want to know about payment details of the tickets bought for this flight . And we are supposed to be the USs closest ally . “
Most people in my generation that I know of are well aware of how stringent security is becoming around us. At times it seems like the government is reverting to Nazi Germany in terms of security checks and other bombastic procedures. They ask to see our papers (ID) on the train, bus…
Speaking of the UK, which I just returned from about 13 hours ago, I did notice a huge difference with paperwork upon entering the UK and the US. The UK paper was just a simple: Name, home address, country of origin. I’ve had more trouble getting from Pennsylvania to New Jersey than I did getting into the UK. Returning home was much different. I had a much longer form to fill out, that asked a bunch of questions in addition to name, address etc. These include, are you carrying any food, plants, soil etc. And another question about how much (in $) stuff you’re bringing into the country. The food questions are for ecological/agricultural security. We do want to limit foreign lifeforms from entering the local enivronment and screwing it up even more. The money question, is for tax purposes. Seeing as how I only bought post cards, “I love London” tshirts, magnets and other tourist crap, it’s no big deal and customs could care less. They however don’t want me bringing major commercial items into the economy, eg designer clothes, electronics, alchoal, tobacco. Since I could resell these items here at a lower price, and have a small impact on the local economy. (Keep in mind that if one person does it, no biggie, but if 500 people do it, it is a major problem, I’m not going to discuss freshman economics here)
Any foreign national (I explicitly asked about this) entering the country has a few other forms to fill out. These are where are you staying, for how long, purpose of visit. The concern here is for immigration purposes.
I’m not defending the system per se, I do prefer the british system, but many of these controls do have a valid reason.
As for your friends comments:
1) fingerprinting et al, applies only to visitors with a visa. Citizens of the UK and most western European countries do NOT have to apply for a visa to travel to the states. Canada (aka the Suburbs)sure as hell doesn’t have to. In fact Canadians are treated as US citizens for customs paperwork purposes!
2) I’m not sure about this new encoded passport thing. US passports don’t have it so why should we require only England to have it?I must commend your friend on being turned away at the Canadian-US border. That is a real accomplishment! You have to TRY to get turned away at the Canadian border. Seriously, it the longest unguarded border in history. Much of it is serperated only by a small stone pillar every 50 ft in the woods. Some places it’s literally as easy as crossing a street.
And to add some more cynicism, Micheal Moore (a hero of yours?) had a show on TV ~10 years ago, where he proved how simple it was to get into/out of Canada. He had people crossing wearing “traditional Canadian outfits” like hockey uniforms with gear, Mountie uniforms, and even a two-man Canadian Moose costume.[/quote]Actually, no real arguments here except for the fact that the policies exempting Canadians and the British are not followed (as a local Canadian talk show host, carrying a British passport and citizenship card found out last Sunday 8) ).
FX wrote:…..and finally, don’t pull the nyc card on me, i moved here from nyc a month before 911, so obviously i have multiple friends and family there too,not to mention all the cops, firefighters, and ambulance personnel i worked with there daily… so do many of the people on this board; we all pulled together to help each other deal with the pain of it when it happened…this is, however, the first time you have claimed any kinship with the issue; you have proved my point, you bleat about us abuses but this is the first time you have, however remotely, mentioned the tragedy that made the environment ripe for these purported abuses to occur…
Ok, I find it interesting that a guy who believes in rights and free speech and constantly praises the Constitution Of The United States…..seems to incite such angst from my neighbors to the south. I only wish privacy, freedom of expression and self-determination for all…..I guess that makes me a terrorist…..
P.S. FX: This is not an attack on you specifically…..just generalizing…..
Nope, it just makes you an annoying whiner who craves attention.
*theFrey looks around the board* Whelp people, I think we have let Maurice vent as much as we need to on this topic. I suggest we all wait and see what next raises his ire.
I for one look forward to seeing it in this thread or one similarly named in this forum, and not randomly scattershot through every other topic on this board.
I am not being too subtle for you am I?
theFrey wrote:Nope, it just makes you an annoying whiner who craves attention.
*theFrey looks around the board* Whelp people, I think we have let Maurice vent as much as we need to on this topic. I suggest we all wait and see what next raises his ire.
I for one look forward to seeing it in this thread or one similarly named in this forum, and not randomly scattershot through every other topic on this board.
I am not being too subtle for you am I?
I agree, Frey,
& that’s why I’m just now writing about `Bad Posting’, which will be in 2 parts; part 1 is nasty, ugly & stupid posting & part 2 is how to avoid doing so. After I write it on paper, take a look at it & make any corrections, I’ll be posting them on 2 separate months, as to not to overwhelm anyone.
Then I’ll post on how to type & make `Good Posts’.
May be then, Frey, people like these won’t type or post such threads.Your Friend,
Jhevz 😉theFrey wrote:Apparently a good global citizen is required to offer bogus media accreditation to people who just happen to have some minor writing skills and an active email address? : ) Get a clue.
You need something more than a poorly laid out web page to be able to give out accreditations. Now, should you wish to spend several years gathering writers, who do insightful pieces that are held to the highest standards of journalism that would be a start. Then you could gather a following that includes some real journalist leaders, and only then would you may be in a position to join an accredited writing group and offer media accreditation to your contributors. Right now? You are just a fruit loop with a printer and your accreditation is not worth the paper it is printed on.
I had to sleep on this reply before making it but since a senior member of Sadgeezer.com has opened this issue…..I demand equal time:
A “global citizen” does not need any accreditation to be a journalist – it is their right as a citizen (and certainly not from the government) as laid out in the American Bill Of Rights. We do not verify any person as a journalist, they have to post a story for broadcast to meet the definition (you don’t need an active e-mail address to post or register at my site, you can do it all on the forums…..for those in oppressed areas where e-mail addresses are traceable).
I don’t know what “poorly laid out web pages” have to do with accreditations, but the web pages are simple so as to load on any computer from 386 up the the most advanced wireless handheld or phone with internet capability. Load times are under one second for all critical pages so it is functional under problematic dial-up in third world nations.
I may be a “fruitloop”…..but I do not have a printer….. 😆 and the accreditations are not on paper but on the web – here is mine: Fatguy’s credential verification. The site is a serious one though…..and I have a contingency plan to extract any member who “legitimately” faces harm because we verified him as a journalist on our international database, under Canada’s refugee policy (the database and correspondence being used to validate that person’s claim as a legitimate refugee). I should tell you that the Canadian Government showed some interest in this idea and wanted me to incorporate under “not-for-profit” so I could apply for a government grant…..but, the site must remain in private hands as our philosophy demands it. Fortressoffreedom.com and IAIJ.com are altruistic projects run by a very small number of people who are committed to the ideals for free speech and free thought. I am proud to be associated with these groups and thus respectfully disagree with your opinion of the websites and their projects.
Maurice Ali – A man who signs his statements with his real name.
Fatguy wrote:I had to sleep on this reply before making it
Yes, I imagine you did. 😆
Fatguy wrote:I don’t know what “poorly laid out web pages” have to do with accreditations, but the fortressoffreedom web pages are simple so as to load on any computer from 386 up the the most advanced wireless handheld or phone with internet capability. Load times are under one second for all critical pages so it is functional under problematic dial-up in third world nations.
Poorly laid out has to do with the slap dash way the whole thing is being done, which I would extend to your offering to give *accreditation* to others. As I mentioned earlier, you have no depth of background in the realm of journalism, and therefore your offer to extend this recognition to others is frankly a joke.
Oh, and it is possible to do web pages that work on mulitple platforms without them looking the way yours do on every single system. But again, that would take effort and dedication.
Fatguy wrote:A “global citizen” does not need any accreditation to be a journalist – it is their right as a citizen (and certainly not from the government)
Most accreditation is received from a group of ones peers. It is their job to weed out the charlatans. ’nuff said there. 🙂
Fatguy wrote:I may be a “fruitloop”…..but I do not have a printer….. 😆
I think perhaps now would be a good time to add the prefix of pompous to your title of fruitloop. 😛
Fatguy wrote:Maurice Ali – A man who signs his statements with his real name.
And usually follows it up with a shot of his butt. So ‘Fatguy’ is your middle name?
TheFrey
Who always used her real name, and only changes it to another version of the same when her ISP screws up her account. 😉 You guys will of course excuse me, if I do not follow this up with a shot of *my* butt. I cannot be responsible for striking anyone blind. 😆The only whining seems to come from you Frey I have been lurking on this board for some months now and noticed your deep hostility to Maurice . He is making a point here that is of great importance to us all and while everyone else seems to be able to agree or disagree about what he is saying ,even your beloved FX (what is that about ? ) seems able to argue in a fairly reasonable way all you appear to be able to insult him in a most personal way .
The person I think we should hear less of is you – let the grown ups discuss why don’t you ? D
Welcome to our happy little group Scaletrix. 🙂
Actually, I manage to ignore him fairly well for months on end, and only notice him at all when he attempts to twist an unrelated thread to his own agenda. Oh, or sends me an email offering me media accreditation. Now I must admit, that was a bit suprising since I would think it was apparent that I wish nothing to do with his crusade.
I myself am into activism, spend many hours, evenings and days a month working on it and indeed have a whole website devoted towards it. But, as committed as I am to it, I do not attempt to beat everyone *here* over the head with it, since this is neither the time nor the place.
Last I looked, this was a Cult SciFi board. I have no objections to people wanting to save the world. I just wish they would do it without posting off topic. 😉
Thanks for the welcome
I thought ‘The Pub’ section was were a Sadgeezer could post about anything ,looking at the recent threads, in view what you have said, I wonder what ‘Lager vs Beer’ or England winning the RWC has to do with Scifi ?
I have even taken a look at Maurices website and think that your snidey comments(perhaps you think putting a smiley face on everything makes your comments ok) are unfair and unjustified he appears to be wanting to make a difference and give people a chance to express themselves about what is going on around them without censure or censorship .
It’s a pity that you appear to be less open-minded
So what has ‘ Maurice/Fatguy Angst Thread ‘,a thread I see you started, have to do with Lexx Conventions ? As far I can see this is a personal attack on someone, I repeat, who has raised some issues about travel to the US ,which could affect some Sadgeezers ability to going to conventions in the US . You do not have any concern about this ? And then we have this thread which seems to be your attempt to undermine Maurice . I’m surprised that he has dealt with you with such good humour and personally think you owe him an apology
Back to lurking
I will actually defend TheFrey here as she was one of the early members of the site and helped build it to what it is today (correct me if I am wrong). Like what she has to say or not; she has given me a brief opportunity to present my venues and “angst”; by removing it from a convention thread and into the Pub (and I did apologize for doing that). We have locked horns on other issues which have developed into some memorable and productive discussion (and some not…..). I am a free speech advocate and welcome her input as she wishes to say it…..that is what it is all about…..is it not?
Re Frey: You have a valid criticism with regard to the “slap dash” display of the website. I noticed this when I started to sell the service to news organizations. I have therefore included a FAQ and will try to streamline an introduction and such to the venue. You are correct in that I have no formal abilities as a journalist (though we now have legitimate members at the site now), that is why I don’t post on the tutorials (except for the who is a journalist thread). Verification is automatic with the first report or on our website…..no favoritism or politics there…..that is the point we are trying to make.
One last note:
This thread has had some impact on me…..so I give you a Sadgeezer exclusive:
I have decided to commit my time and resources for at least the next ten years towards maintaining the fortressoffreedom.com and iaij.com websites.
These two sites will remain the most accessible websites on earth and soon will be available in a multitude of languages. The service will remain free as the idea of the half naked person with no money stealing away time on any computer to post his story and be validated as a journalist…..means much to me. That is what we represent, I am even toying with a prototype of the virtual press card that will dispense with the physical distribution of the card to areas in the world where this would be difficult.
We will remain users of the most advanced uncensorable, untraceable technologies for critical transmissions for people who live in oppressed environments (I will hold back on what some people consider oppressed environments…..hehehe). Presently, that tool is Freenet.
I do all this because this cause is just and good; and because I love my fellow man. I thank you all for helping me make this decision, it is not fun to be the guy selected to “stick his neck out”, but someone has to do it…..only right is right.
Maurice Ali
Nope, this site was a bastion of Cult Scifi when I arrived three or four years ago. It was then, and is now, the definitive Lexx site due to the efforts of many Lexxians including the head ones Tony and New Kate.
This site has many forums and I would like the cult Sci-fi ones to stay on topic as much as possible. A lot of people come here to talk about and check up on their favorite shows. For some of us, this is a break from RL where we can kick back and relax.
Echo!
Can’t dissagree with anything Frey said in that. BUT, I also appreciae the comments of others like Maurice, even if I sometimes don’t agree!
The fact is, sadgeezer.com changed a couple of years ago because of peeps like theFey and FX, Cat, Headghog and many others. it became a site dedicated to the sci fi community rather than the drunken rantings of it’s webmaster. In that respect I often bow to the experience and judgement of the moderators.
For the record (and I know Maurice knows this) you are not flaming if you dissagree with mods or me. I personally enjoy the discussions (off topic) of members of this site – especially the views of lurkers who have been following a thread and think that the site is enriched by it.
That doesn’t mean that I agree with what is posted – and that’s ok. Good luck with your sites Fatguy!
Scaletrix wrote:I’m surprised that he has dealt with you with such good humour and personally think you owe him an apology
Actually, I don’t. Maurice has been requested several times, by several mods, both through private emails and various posts, not to turn unrelated threads into advertisements for his website or soap boxes for his cause of the week.
Which is why I originally took his post from the Lexx Convention forum and moved it here. Had it not been there, I would not have noticed or responded to it at all.
Maurice, did apologize for forgetting, again, not to turn threads and so here we all are until the next occurence. 🙂
theFrey wrote:…..and so here we all are until the next occurence. 🙂
The next occurence…..just kidding 😉 :
The Price Of Freedom Is Eternal Vigilance
Maurice Ali
Maurice- I keep hoping that you’ll come to the aid of Canada’s most well known political prisoner, Ernst Zundel( he’s being held in a prison in the Toronto area, maybe you can get an exclusive jail house interview with him!).
pinhead wrote:Maurice- I keep hoping that you’ll come to the aid of Canada’s most well known political prisoner, Ernst Zundel( he’s being held in a prison in the Toronto area, maybe you can get an exclusive jail house interview with him!).
Lets see you pick another out of a population of over 30 million. We can’t let one idiot ruin the rights of millions; but that is what he did with the consequent introduction of “hate laws”. Now ordinary conversation can be “moderated” by those with “political connections” to silence others just stating an opinion. Leave the emotion of of human rights arguments…..”if it save one life”…..does not cut it with me.
Maurice
Fatguy wrote:pinhead wrote:Maurice- I keep hoping that you’ll come to the aid of Canada’s most well known political prisoner, Ernst Zundel( he’s being held in a prison in the Toronto area, maybe you can get an exclusive jail house interview with him!).
Lets see you pick another out of a population of over 30 million. We can’t let one idiot ruin the rights of millions; but that is what he did with the consequent introduction of “hate laws”. Now ordinary conversation can be “moderated” by those with “political connections” to silence others just stating an opinion. Leave the emotion of of human rights arguments…..”if it save one life”…..does not cut it with me.
Maurice[/quote]
Be very careful, Fatguy,
You’re treading in deep water; you’ve been warned time & time again, & all you do is keep up with the same old story. Poor me…
Well I’m in total agreement with Sadgeezer & TheFrey; both of them know exactly what they’re talking about. In any case, they’re the creators of this wonderful forum & it’s people like you who like to abuse it. Please take more time on what you say.
& as I’ve said in a previous post, once I finish writing & make any changes to it, I’ll be posting a thread called ` Bad Posting or How Not to Make Bad Posts‘; please understand this thread has a lot to do with it, among others; plus, this has nothing to do with you personally, it’s got to do with the way you post threads.Posters Unite,
Jhevz 😉SadGeezer wrote:Can’t dissagree with anything Frey said in that. BUT, I also appreciae the comments of others like Maurice, even if I sometimes don’t agree! …
For the record (and I know Maurice knows this) you are not flaming if you dissagree with mods or me. I personally enjoy the discussions (off topic) of members of this site – especially the views of lurkers who have been following a thread and think that the site is enriched by it.
That doesn’t mean that I agree with what is posted – and that’s ok. Good luck with your sites Fatguy!
Well said, and it’s that attitude that kept me posting here. This has always been far more of a “speak your mind” than a “mind your speech” board.
If everyone agreed it would be a boring place, I like the diversity of views, and even attitudes. We can have diverse opinions, yet still live in harmony. Animosity brings down everyone, to avoid it, one must be sensitive to eachother’s needs… BTW, even moderators don’t have to always agree with eachother… we are ALL individuals.
As I’ve said many times before, it’s important to try to respect eachother, have humility, respect others dignity, really listen to and take an interest in eachother, and be sensitive to eachother — just try not to be too sensitive when it comes to worrying about how others see you. We can all learn from eachother.
Now, I am very concerned about rights and freedoms, and would like to discuss these issues, but it depends on how it’s approached and where… There is a place here for such discussion, just not good to hijack other topics to suit one’s own agenda. Personally, I wouldn’t have had a problem with Fatguy’s post in the Convention forum at all, but I can understand theFrey’s concern as it wasn’t an isolated incident. Was surprsied that theFrey decided to shine the spotlight (give great attention to) on Maurice, by giving him his very own “angst” thread, but Fatguy appreciates it as I think he made clear, and she got her point across. Hopefully everybody can be happy now — will still take some work to really pleasure eachother.
Unlike Jhevz, I certainly have no problem at all with Fatguy’s repsonse to Pinhead, which I felt a perfectly appropriate response — wouldn’t matter if I agreed or not. It was a fair and logical response to my mind. So let’s try not to get too upset — just be excellent to eachother. “Please, think of the kittens” (Pinhead should like that quote — lol).
TheFrey mentioned that there is place for discussion, here for instance… but here’s a suggestion to Fatguy, why not raise these concerns more within the context of a sci-fi show? It’s just an idea, I’m not saying you should… For instance, many of your concerns are raised in The Prisoner. We can always discuss how the shows relate to politics etc. Just a matter of being creative — lateral thinking and all that. Dang, if we can have threads discussing those shows from such a perspective, well I’d participate to the best of meagre ability. Otherwise, there is always the Pub where we can discuss politics and other issues to our hearts content (as long as we don’t get too personal or hostile, flood the forum, promote illegal activities, break sadgeezer rules etc.).
Anyway, maybe we can get into discussing the specific issues regarding security, privacy, and freedoms etc. and disregard this excess baggage. New thread would be nice, I’m sure we’ll all have interesting points to make as long as we don’t get too personal.
Note: I promised myself I’d be short and to the point, but I rambled yet again… Ah, but you love me for it, or maybe you don’t, I don’t care cause I have my own mind and I’m not afraid to lose it. 😉
Edit: A a sadgeezer I do honestly respect everyone at this site. I think this was raised earlier in the thread, but I feel that Fatguy has done a good job with his site, and it is of importance. He’s been blessed with the quality of his journalists, and he’s done some good stories too. Talented people both here and there, just wanted to mention that.
“We’re in this together” (Spinal Tap)
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