Even the finest arms are an instrument of evil,
A spread of plague,
And the way for a vital man to go is not the way of a soldier.
But in time of war men civilized in peace
Turn from their higher to their lower nature.
Arms are an instrument of evil,
No measure for thoughtful men
Until there fail all other choice
But sad acceptance of it.
Triumph is not beautiful.
He who thinks triumph beautiful
Is one with a will to kill,
And one with a will to kill
Shall never prevail upon the world.
It is a good sign when man’s higher nature comes forward,
A bad sign when his lower nature comes forward,
When retainers take charge
And the master stays back
As in the conduct of a funeral.
The death of a multitude is cause for mourning:
Conduct your triumph as a funeral.
-Lao Tzu

Just sayin’ that it’s OK sometimes. I enjoyed your audio clip, also.

Doug Noon’s last blog post..When Worlds Don’t Collide

Ironically my comment was motivated by very similar circumstances and feeling, that justice for bullies must be swift and hard. To my regret this was somewhat impromptu and absent-minded, having no understanding for the context of your post. Passing judgement is tricky, like dealing with a double _ended_ sword you cannot thrust it safely and must keep it reserved, tolerant and controlled. Sometimes even, the whole point is to lure you into the mud; it is my hope that you will resist the urge to enter it further.

It is my personal opinion that you and your community area valuable commodity in service to the noble enterprise. To which I have done a disservice in contributing to your waste of time and energy.

Mine was an attitude reflecting little more than reductio ad absurdum, in that my behavior reflects that of little tact, empathy or due respect. To sum, diplomacy is the great social cohesive force and when we allow ‘good will’ to degrade selfishness sets in (ie resentment and cruelty). That is the great moral, that others _do_ matter.

When we are at fault we must make amens, without reserve, to preserve our character and hopefully become wiser in the process of humility. Perhaps the purpose is to not only persist in virtue but to be a force of it, thus improving the world by our presence.

Thankfully I have the convenience of anonymity, I respect your bravery. I second that, here’s to a lovely spring season!

LindaH’s last blog post..Music - Luxury or Nurture?

This isn’t the first time I’ve tangled with somebody who thought it was okay to walk around thumping people, and then said “What’s the big deal? I was just kidding. C’mon, take a joke. Lighten up, brah.”

Listen to that podcast in the post above this one. It’s uncanny how the first 15 minutes invite this as another example of getting in a fight with somebody who thinks they can provoke people without paying for it.

The old fatherly advice, “Don’t start fights, but once in, be sure you finish them” holds true here.

For those of you who disagree with what I’ve done - and again, the history is long and the backstory is deep - I can only say, first, I don’t feel particularly clean about it myself, and second, if you have known me at all through these pages, you should know it’s not characteristic. That being said, just as I was often suspended for fighting in school, when I was always only fighting _back_, I can handle it if you feel I’ve crossed a line you’re not comfortable with. Good luck, if that’s the case.

People have lives. We don’t remember that well enough when we gratuitously provoke them. Maybe they’ve had bad medical news, or a marital crisis, or a professional one, on the day they discover some annoying piece of sarcasm aimed at them from some “annoying tormentor,” to quote Diane. And maybe that’s why they “uncoil and strike.”

I won’t say anything more. I apologize to those I’ve brought down, and thank those who understand.

Now on to that beautiful springtime I was hoping to enjoy during this spring break vacation. It’s glorious out there, finally, after a long, cold winter.

So. I’m one of the quiet thank yous.
I am sorry to bring it up.

But I am. I am not proud of the fact that I am not yet completely beyond the stinging of words. Not yet free of the unsure self that feels.

Many an April I am the fool but I do understand this isn’t an easy spot to sit. Not in any way. I’ll send good thoughts. Really good ones for peace.
And I do recommend the Bill Evans.
Sarah Puglisi

He obviously “wants a bit of circus”, which is evidently what one gets by piddling in your pond.

To us students here’s the “cautionary tale”, beware the vindication of talented academics. Never underestimate the backlash of seemingly mundane or harmless humor. You might be opening a floodgate, a pent up fury of aggravation, superior authority and intellect, to which you will be the unwitting receptacle.

Great show men, and the comments here are priceless BTW. Kudos to you Clay on an excellent dissection of bad etiquette.

I’m trying to relate my humor here of this whole circus without
[being] a little prick. Perspectives abound in this wild ‘net often so obscure that many people find it worthless to read comments or pages leading to their own. It is humorous to observe the day-to-day practices of professionals in their industries happening in real time on the ‘net. I’ve always heard rumors about inflated personas and mercantile vengeance. To sum it up, I relate to you both Clay and Dan, whereas I also found your whining funny in the “why don’t you cry about it, that’s what you get for ‘evangelising’” sense and the “how dare you piddle in my pond, I SMITE you now!” sense. Not that Dan exhibited that in his comment, a good faith interpretation might’ve been that it had no actually offensive value other than a dry humored, metaphor for a claim to first rights. Journalistic commentary? Perhaps, it is after all a personal blog…

For the students perhaps you could give extra credit to someone who can determine the BIG prick here, and *chuckles* the worst example of hypocrite.

I like good men too, saying so indicates nothing of my character. You’re not a fan of A. Crowley are you?

Thanks again I am truly _rolling_ *bows.

No offense taken - ideas are fair game, people aren’t (unless they ask for it).

While I hear you about the asymmetry (a small jab, a nuclear response), if you follow the last couple links, you’ll see a longer history.

As I say in my close, I’ve heard Dan has good ideas and give him credit for that.

But I stand by the message to new bloggers: Collaboration requires social intelligence, not just good ideas. Be mean to people, you might get meanness back. It’s a basic law.

And between the two of us, I want you to know several people have privately thanked me, because they’ve received pricks in the past. So the jury is split on this.

And yes, I may have had too much fun, once I started writing. But we English teachers are funny this way.

Was it a snarky comment? Sure. Could it be read as a poke at you? Sure. But that’s it. I wouldn’t even go so far to call it a “sharp, localized pain.” It was a poke. Why go slashing in return? I notice you didn’t comment at all on Dan’s post that angered you. Why not?

I’ve been a regular reader and sometimes commenter on both your blogs, have found both full of good insight and ideas. This post goes totally against the collaborative nature of education that you’ve been promoting. It’s a horrible example to new bloggers and isn’t going to help anyone get into this game for the right reasons.

Hope that wasn’t too ass-y.

Ben’s last blog post..YES!