here here ..

btw Julied - belated congrats on passing 50K for MOT ... and hey don't let TW turn you

Thanks, Sanj. And no worries, my friend.

If I appear to be "different," it is only because I refuse to accept the frankly bizarre assertion that the warmth of friendhip and helpfullness that characterizes MOT is inherently incompatible with the honest and direct style of communication that is favored by TW.

When anyone tells me that I have to chop off my right arm to heal my left, I know what his true intentions are.

MOT is the substance even if, at times, TW is the more appropriate style.

I am, and am proud to be, a member of both.

heh, thanks for the support mate.

For those who didn't notice TW is back up... I been busf helping a friend move house in offilne world. No ETA on the rest of the sites services being backup though, getting close to one though (although i am starting to like only having to browse the forum and forget the rest of the junk i do at TW.... it has been like an admin holiday. Keeping on top of the forum is the easy part of being an admin... :) )

thanks, it took me an hour and a half to get out of the fetal position that those mean spirited words put me in.

Although the TW mutants would loathe to admit it, Fannie, they do possess some "vestigal human-like emotions" and can actually feel pain. (This rare phenomenon, however, is usually only observed following week-old pizza fests: A quaint and time-honored tradition in the TW community.)

When it appears that a TWer is exhibiting pain, one must approach them with extreme caution. They are very adept at using the appearance of "hurt" as a feint to lure the unsuspecting.

The results can be very ugly.

If it appears that the tone of a post contains sarcasm, this is "classic TW speak." The poster is (in some way) testing, or challenging you. The post will almost always have one of two possible meanings.
"Weak! Surely you can do better than that."
Or, "Not bad. That had some teeth to it. Good job!

In either case, you are never told what the post meant. (Coddling is STRICTLY taboo in the "shark tank.") You must rely strictly upon your own resources, make a decision and counter-thrust.

Ultimately, your worth in the "Tribe" is determined by your ability to see the intentions of your opponent clearly; your capacity to effectively counter and neutralize your opponent's thrust using a creative, confident and disarming style; and most importantly, without showing any signs of underlying character flaws such as indignation, self-importance, hurt, excessive anger, etc. (Obviously, anal expulsiveness is an exeption to the "prime directive.")

There is an unspoken understanding amongst all TW members: "Some people get it, but most never do."

So, what is this "it?"

What it is Fannie, is really worth figuring out.

I can tell you this, though. The worst thing Thrill could have done would have been to have posted any reply to suggest that he was truly indignant or offended in any way. Had he done that, it would have certainly triggered a "feeding freenzy" by the other TW members. His post needed to say something directly about you; and only indirectly about himself.

You, in particular, might appreciate this true story.

I became friends with a young man from South Africa. At times, Ian would simply look at me in disgust and say, "God. Will you just pull yourself towards yourself.'"

Being a true American raised in N.Y., I knew exactly what he meant. Or, so I thought.

Imagine my surprise months later when I found out that he was not telling me to have sex with my self. Actually, Ian was simply using a common South African idiom to say, "Will you just get your act together?!"

Sound familiar?