Over the next month or so I want to try an experiment in communications with you all, based on a conversation I had the other day. I will let you know how it turns out.

I am overwhelmed
By the sheer detail contained
Within the first post

Illuminate us!
The vagueness of this thread leaves
Much to be desired

The virtue of patience
may be lacking in Brian.
Why not wait and see.

Touche, Bob! Your words
Ring true, have found the target
Patience not my strength

Good things come to those
Who wait for them, but what good
Will come from this thread?

I will bide my time
Sit with breath baited, will I
Ask why I waited?

Maybe the experiment is already underway?

Maybe this is it? He's testing and probing us to see what we do amongst ourselves - surviving on this teeny bit of information... making us wait... wonder... anticipate!

I WANT OUT OF HERE!

A clue will be found
True and false inquiries tried
Linear thinker

I bet he's going to start playing bizarro-Richard, and start espousing ideas like government can help the poor have better lives, and we must try to understand our muslim brothers, thinking that we will argue against him and thus come around to his true beliefs.

I think the current incarnation is bizarro-Richard (bizarro Ricardo?)

But, that's just me.

He's just waiting to see how long it will take a thread with absolutely no subject to turn into a shouting match over_____________ (insert your cause here).

If that is the reason, I find it interesting and funny-haha.

I am really mad.
MY Haiku.....six syllables.
Did no one notice?

He's just waiting to see how long it will take a thread with absolutely no subject to turn into a shouting match over_____________ (insert your cause here).

Yep - that's a bingo
Much ado about nothing
Until subject's clear

Curious how quickly most everyone posted something negative rather than embracing the opportunity for positive constructive discussion and understanding. Not that understanding means you agree with a persons situation or viewpoint, but at least give them an open ear and the time to present their view.

Chad - how is it negative to ask for more detail? If anything, I was encouraging Richard to elaborate (in Haiku form, of course).

Bob - I noticed but though you were just using creative license.

Curious how quickly most everyone posted something negative rather than embracing the opportunity for positive constructive discussion and understanding. Not that understanding means you agree with a persons situation or viewpoint, but at least give them an open ear and the time to present their view.

Perhaps that's the point
Of Richard's experiment
Might I be correct?

Peter Boyle man
tormented by web chatters
drinks Guinness alone

Brian,

Thank you for your prompt reply. I did say SOME, not all, and I did not specifically mention any particular names or posts.

Perhaps we're all part of Richard's great experiment now and will be figured into some spreadsheet and factored onto a graph that will be presented to a large body of otherwise unknowing and uninformed persons in an effort to sway their decision on the future pending vote for a matter of great importance. Or maybe it's all just a bunch of baloney.

Christian men gather
Libertarian at heart
taxes must be cut

See? This is my point!

...diabolical.

Angry fat man sweats
Oxycontin and cigars
No love for the poor

Stimulous package
Wastrel liberal spending
Constitution dies

Poor dumb MC boys.
You've already taken bait.
Richard Bonine laughs!

Peter Boyle man
tormented by web chatters
drinks Guinness alone

This may be the single funniest thing I have read in at least the last 3 1/2 hours, Gunnar.

You have quite a fan club Mr. Bonine I don't think anyone else except maybe Rick could have gotten 22 replies in a few hours to a 2 sentence post like that.

Richard, you'll have to just prevent yourself from responding to anything - something negative will be read into anything you have to say

Buck, you've fallen victim to his insidiousness. That's EXACTLY what he'd want you to say.

Then, he'd want me to type exactly what I just typed but would KNOW that I'd think twice about it. However, I'm doing a double-twist reversal and typing it anyway because it's exactly what he wouldn't expect of anyone who was about to do exactly what he expected.

/tapping finger on side of nose and nodding knowingly/

Just smile and wave Richard, just smile and wave...

Japan?

Working flawlessly so far.

A little self serving Richard? You were going to win no matter what happened, being you were the only one that knew the rules. Froid did these same experiments many years ago, and got the same results. The results are what you want them to be, when you, and only you know how to play the game.

It's not a game and not about winning or losing. It is a serious experiment in relating to others.

Did you have the consent of the subjects of your experiment?

"Did you have the consent of the subjects of your experiment?"

The replies of the "subjects" of this expiriment gave their consent

The replies of the "subjects" of this expiriment gave their consent.

I'm glad you're not a lawyer.

Unless you are a lawyer, in which case, I am glad you're not my lawyer.

Well gang, the experiment is over.

A while back someone suggested that I needed to work on being more compassionate. They suggested that one way to accomplish that objective was to modify my communications by asking most things as a question rather than making a declarative statement. I tried. I don't think it worked very well. There is a hole in my tongue from biting it all the time and I have been miserable not being who I really am.

One observation I would make is that most of you regular posters read right on past all of the punctuation marks. Several times people responded to something I said as though I was declarative rather than interrogative.

Now you know.

Well gang, the experiment is over.

A while back someone suggested that I needed to work on being more compassionate. They suggested that one way to accomplish that objective was to modify my communications by asking most things as a question rather than making a declarative statement. I tried. I don't think it worked very well. There is a hole in my tongue from biting it all the time and I have been miserable not being who I really am.

One observation I would make is that most of you regular posters read right on past all of the punctuation marks. Several times people responded to something I said as though I was declarative rather than interrogative.

Now you know.

Richard - are you talking about your experiment or someone else's experiment for which you're taking all the credit?

It's funny that you'd mention punctuation marks when you're so loath to use things like quotation marks when you cite sources. Oh, wait ... you don't cite sources. My bad.

It was my "experiment".

How refreshing.

Ahem!

From earlier in this thread...






Subject: RE: A new approach
Author: Bob L. Posted: 3/11/2009 8:22:16 AM From: - SD

A clue will be found
True and false inquiries tried
Linear thinker