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I'm thankful for. . .
mlincoln
Member Posts: 5,039 ✭✭✭
Thanksgiving was just a bit ago, and I got to thinking about what I'm thankful for: my family, my home, my loving wife, my health, and so forth. And then I gazed across the room at the computer, and I thought about it a bit more, and I realized I'm quite thankful for Whiteclouder. Yes, Whiteclouder.
He is mean and nasty, very smart, incredibly knowledgeable about firearms and shooting, and vicious to anybody he meets. He's like the guy at school that, first chance he gets, goes up to the new kid and challenges him to a fight.
When I first started on this forum many years ago, he went right after me. We went back and forth about gun control, long-range shooting, politics, books, movies, booze, what have you. I was honestly surprised that somebody could be so sharp and mean, could put so much energy into going after somebody else. We battled back and forth and I finally got really mad, and then we sort of had a truce of sorts (sort of like the truce between North and South Korea, if you get my meaning). And then, down the line, he actually said a few nice things to me. Blew me away.
All the time, though, he was his usual very smart self. He knows an ASTONISHING amount about shooting, and will argue the smallest point to the death. I remember a few fellows who posted some suspect information, and he was all over them.
I've also been impressed by his take on politics and religion. I don't always agree with it, but I am impressed by the intellectual honesty and by the thought he puts into things. Yes, when others reply with smiley faces or +1 or whatever, Whiteclouder puts thought into his posts. He wrestles with ideas and crafts a coherent and thoughtful response. As much as he and Hairy snipe at each other, they really are two peas from the same pod. Well, from the opposite ends of the same pod, but they both are passionate about what they believe and both take the time to write a good, thoughtful post.
Of late I've noticed that Whiteclouder doesn't post as much as he used to. Maybe he's slowing down a bit, or has work that's taking more of his time, or--God forbid--he's mellowing in his old age. Those who are new on the forum really missed his hey-day, back five to seven years ago, when he really laid it down. He even used to post some excerpts from his books. I did not really care for them, but I did recognize the time and skill that he put into them.
I've been reading Guns, Germs, and Steel, and the author discusses why some animals were domesticated and others haven't been. Domesticated animals must have all of a list of traits, and animals that can't be domesticated have to have only one of a list of bad traits. One of the bad traits he discusses is "nasty disposition." He notes that grizzly bears grow quickly, eat almost anything, and provide a huge amount of meat when slaughtered, making them ideal food animals. Their nasty disposition, though, keeps them from ever being domesticated. Yes, I thought as I read the passage, there is Whiteclouder in two words. One might wonder why I appreciate a fellow who has a nasty disposition, who does not suffer fools and who challenges everybody he meets. Well, some wonder why people want wolves back in Yellowstone or for the great white shark to be allowed to swim unfettered. We're all better when there's a bit of an edge in the game; it makes us move a bit faster, it makes us think a bit harder, and it makes things--and really, this is why we are all here--interesting. So here's to you, Whiteclouder, I'll raise my glass to your nasty, witty self. And then I'll be quiet so you can point out several grammatical errors I made and tell me I'm a soft-headed fool who's wasting everybody's time.
He is mean and nasty, very smart, incredibly knowledgeable about firearms and shooting, and vicious to anybody he meets. He's like the guy at school that, first chance he gets, goes up to the new kid and challenges him to a fight.
When I first started on this forum many years ago, he went right after me. We went back and forth about gun control, long-range shooting, politics, books, movies, booze, what have you. I was honestly surprised that somebody could be so sharp and mean, could put so much energy into going after somebody else. We battled back and forth and I finally got really mad, and then we sort of had a truce of sorts (sort of like the truce between North and South Korea, if you get my meaning). And then, down the line, he actually said a few nice things to me. Blew me away.
All the time, though, he was his usual very smart self. He knows an ASTONISHING amount about shooting, and will argue the smallest point to the death. I remember a few fellows who posted some suspect information, and he was all over them.
I've also been impressed by his take on politics and religion. I don't always agree with it, but I am impressed by the intellectual honesty and by the thought he puts into things. Yes, when others reply with smiley faces or +1 or whatever, Whiteclouder puts thought into his posts. He wrestles with ideas and crafts a coherent and thoughtful response. As much as he and Hairy snipe at each other, they really are two peas from the same pod. Well, from the opposite ends of the same pod, but they both are passionate about what they believe and both take the time to write a good, thoughtful post.
Of late I've noticed that Whiteclouder doesn't post as much as he used to. Maybe he's slowing down a bit, or has work that's taking more of his time, or--God forbid--he's mellowing in his old age. Those who are new on the forum really missed his hey-day, back five to seven years ago, when he really laid it down. He even used to post some excerpts from his books. I did not really care for them, but I did recognize the time and skill that he put into them.
I've been reading Guns, Germs, and Steel, and the author discusses why some animals were domesticated and others haven't been. Domesticated animals must have all of a list of traits, and animals that can't be domesticated have to have only one of a list of bad traits. One of the bad traits he discusses is "nasty disposition." He notes that grizzly bears grow quickly, eat almost anything, and provide a huge amount of meat when slaughtered, making them ideal food animals. Their nasty disposition, though, keeps them from ever being domesticated. Yes, I thought as I read the passage, there is Whiteclouder in two words. One might wonder why I appreciate a fellow who has a nasty disposition, who does not suffer fools and who challenges everybody he meets. Well, some wonder why people want wolves back in Yellowstone or for the great white shark to be allowed to swim unfettered. We're all better when there's a bit of an edge in the game; it makes us move a bit faster, it makes us think a bit harder, and it makes things--and really, this is why we are all here--interesting. So here's to you, Whiteclouder, I'll raise my glass to your nasty, witty self. And then I'll be quiet so you can point out several grammatical errors I made and tell me I'm a soft-headed fool who's wasting everybody's time.
Comments
Oh him.....[:0] [;)]