Gush About Tropers You Like

Well it was like he trolled me my entire life, he was always talking about the evils of niggers and telling racist jokes, and then he dies and it turns out like 3/4ths of his friends were black. I've kind of picked up that trait, my step-dad, half sister and brother, best friend, and roomate are all black, but I crack racist jokes around them constantly because I like to toe the line. I don't have any issues with black people at all, but I just like really controversial jokes. Then again he died at 87, he definitely grew up in a time where that sort of talk was the norm.

Wherever you are Gramps, I know you're making a trollface right now.

edited 30th Mar '10 6:46:45 AM by Barkey

Adorable? Sure, Let's Go with That.

...sounds like my dad, actually.

Finland is basically about two generations behind the States, is the thing.

Barkey: How old are you anyway?

It's a mystery.

Here's to ya, Barkey. May ya never tell us how old ya really are.

That's what I thought. I'm still older than you.

Have I gushed about Mister Always and Taco yet? Because they are both incredibly awesome AND NO ALWAYS YOU MAY NOT SNIFF MY HAIR WHILE I SLEEP.

But seriously, these two are amazing, and Taco's RP character Edvin is HILARIOUS. xD I know he doesn't like my Godmode Purity Sue but I'm glad he decides to put up with her anyway :D

Love you twooooooo let's make bbs <3 *super shooted*

Thanks, Fan.

I still think everyone is pretty awesome.

Iverums awesome for being an Air Force Brat.

I think my favorite part about Barkey is that he represents conservatism intelligently. It's kind of hard to keep one's own political views in check when the opposition behaves like strawmen, so I like being able to see a reasonable thought process from the other side.

edited 30th Mar '10 3:38:03 PM by Gelzo

Indeed, Barkey is an awesome conservative. Plus he's helped me decide that the military might be for me.

Get yourself a badge and beret Iverum, I'll be proud. :P

Trying to display it intelligently is very important to me. I think too many folks have unfair stereotypes as to what folks in the military are like. Yes, most of TV Tropes is very liberal and that can cause me to clash with alot of folks, but the best I can do is try to illustrate to them that "Hey, your points are valid, but I don't agree. This is why." I don't disagree with you because you're on the left side of the spectrum, I really do disagree with you because I listened to your argument and decided that I do not agree.

I think what matters isn't as much the issue itself as that you properly investigated all of your options and made your own decisions instead of choosing blindly. Making the intelligent and informed decision is what actually matters.

See, it is those kind of posts that make me respect your opinion.

Barkey is at the very least reasonable. No matter hat he says, he tries to back it up, and doesn't get into senseless fights.

That, and it's nice having a military figure around. Adds another perspective to pretty much every discussion involving politics and international relations.

I blame my mom, wise woman she is. Pretty much taught me a few fundamental things that I live by in my interactions with others:

• Everyone has an opinion that is in some way valid.
• Validity is not made equal, what is valid to one person is not valid to others.
• There doesn't always have to be a winner or a loser in a debate, there really isn't a "I'm correct and you are not" conclusion to most debates.
• To really refine your opinions, you need to bounce them against differing opinions constantly in the form of debate, but do do that you must actually listen to your opponent. Give tons of people time to try and convince you, if they don't, then your opinion still holds water and is that much stronger for it.
• When in a deadlock, compromise, even if it's a compromise neither side likes that you have to use out of spite to teach them a lesson for not compromising on their own.
• A debate only becomes an argument when you hit the point of where there is no choice but to agree to disagree, and you keep talking anyway.
• What does the point being raised mean to you? Someone might have a differing opinion because it affects them differently, and both of your opinions make perfect sense to each of you, and that's just how it is.
• When you lose due to a consensus against you, you lost, fair and square.

My mom is so cool. It pretty much means "Consider what others think, find out why they think it, and decide if you agree or disagree based on how it affects you and what your own values are."

edited 30th Mar '10 4:07:08 PM by Barkey

I cannot say I talk with Barkey often enough to say I like him, I should though considering my future plans. But I can say from that post that his mom is a Pretty Cool Mom.

That's not a bad set of guidelines for debate.

I just think so many people are used to the opposition never listening that they automatically assume I'm not listening either. It's really hard to illustrate that I am, indeed, listening to their argument and mulling over what they think.

Edit: Anyway, I'm thrilled Norn approves. Every time he pops into a thread it's like a mixture of a scalpel and a tac nuke. It's like SUDDENLY, INTELLIGENT WELL FORMATTED PARAGRAPH WITH CITED STATISTICS AND INTELLIGENT NON-RADICAL POINTS!

It's Super Effective!

Tropers Fainted!

edited 30th Mar '10 4:23:26 PM by Barkey

I wish more people approached debate that way. I'd be a lot less annoyed with certain people on Facebook if that was the case. (It's probably my fault for always starting it, but still.)

^^ Yeah, I kinda wonder how Norm does that. Does he have a photographic memory, remembering every single detail he ever came across? Does he live his live holed up in a room with nothing but a pc and a whole bunch of books and newspapers? Does he have Wikipedia on his second tap?

No matter how, as soon as Norm entered the fray, everything goes silent, and is pretty much settled by the power of reason. And that's very cool.

Not always, there are problems that cannot be solved bt Nornagest's reason...Those are the ones that need the spray bottle!

Nornagest is an epic level character

Buttercup Is Awesome.

Not because she followed up on this in her sig, either, although that made me laugh. But because she comes across as a really kind and thoughtful person, and she's got a good sense of humour.

I'll admit I look up to Norn, but I'm pretty sure he also thinks all of our borderline worship of him is silly.

Modesty. Gotta dig it.