Wow is all I can really say!

Leel, Dude, I am also bemused reading your post which picks a side and then tells people to play nice in the sandbox. Really...that is a joke - the girl waking up with a penis?...I love to joke around - can you explain the punchline to me? Thanks because I have no idea what he is talking about.

It really is hypocrisy that is the thing that gets my horns twisted.

There is no side to pick. I don't even know why I am somehow a part of FOAS's big confession. Frankly, I thought it would be a yes, no, or no comment - not an entire back story. I just asked! Didn't think it was a big whoop and yes I do find that other post about a girl with a penis a giant wtf and don't even understand or can figure out how that is a joke.

I post on this forum because I like the people. I PARTICIPATE in many areas of it and try to post as often as my lfe allows. I offer support, encouragement, and praise as often as I can along with my kitchen adventures. I am very easy going and love to joke around and I always say what I mean - here and in life.

What do I think lately? Things bubble up on here from time to time but now I feel like there is a real mean streak running through this forum. I think there are male posters that act like giant babies - look at me look at me - see what I did and try to "control" the "ladies". Yeah I said it. I think Annie197whatever obviously is someone with a history here or is related to someone that doesn't have the balls to say the things this "annie" does. The nasty comments are entirely out of proportion it seems like to me.

I think I am a good forum "citizen" and am rewarded on that with hardly any comments here. Thank you Annie and Dishes.

I asked a freakin question. That is it...and no I am not upset - I'm not like that - it will roll off my back.

maggie - I agree with you on the mean streak running around here - I too am surprised. You did nothing wrong, and your response to that "in the gutter post" was appropriate. I think his gutter post will surely get this thread pulled.
Totally inappropriate on a cooking forum.

The reference to which you are referring and by which you seem so horrified was posted on a site discussing paranormal occurance originally....and commented on by many other sites since then because it seemed so odd.
It wasn't invented out of the blue to shock and horrify you. And it's not a joke with a punch line.
Now I am wondering who I recognize from an earlier time, come back with another name to stir the pot??/
Hmmmm....

Here is a link that might be useful: Strange happening

Maggie, my friend, you are right, there IS a mean streak running here lately and I don't know why or what exactly is going on but I'm not enjoying it at all.

As for your question, it was that, just a question. You are now exactly what you have always been, posting pictures of yourself and your kids and your life and that's never changed. I don't know how this got to be about you.

Now, I don't think anyone needs to "take sides" at all, because we're adults. There shouldn't be sides to take. We are all, ostensibly, reasonably intelligent and honest adults who are here because we like to cook and we like to share that past time with other people who like to cook.

As for the girl in Myanmar with a penis, I'm totally in the dark and didn't think it was a joke at all. I guess I missed the punchline. And like you, I remember Fenworth saying before that he posted under different names because he liked to stir things up. I think things are already stirred up sufficiently and we should get back to cooking!

Annie

Annie, missed your post. As always, I appreciate your honesty and caring. Your a straight shooter and I love that. Your good:)

Ok, I wasn't going to post here again but I think I'll try to take one final shot at clearing things up.

1) I thought that Maggie brought up the Fenworth thing as a random attack. I know now that I WAS WRONG, and I am sorry for my mistake. She brought it up because she thought that my reference to my tenure here was misleading. I tried to explain that whether you're talking 1.5 years or 4 years, I stated my honest feelings about the subject.

2) I wrote my "coming out" because I knew Maggie's question would get people wondering. At least those who didn't already know. I tried to nip it in the bud, that's all.

3) Maggie and Annie remember me saying something about using multiple user names to stir up the pot. I also remember saying that. And it was in direct reference to a ridiculous discussion group where everyone was posting under multiple names. Everyone was doing it. James Fenworth was one of my names. I carried it over to here when I joined.

4) That "discussion" group was related to the article that Linda C referenced. On the Cooking Forum I have posted under TWO names: Fenworth and FOAS. Never anything else. They never crossed time periods. I won't repeat why I changed, it's up above. I mentioned the article and the whole situation in order to lighten up the mood here and try to explain. I understand why some thought it was in bad taste. To those, I apologize.

I really hope this helps clear things up. Most of all, I sincerely apologize to Maggie who I dragged into this all because of a misunderstanding on my part.

I hope we can put this to rest at this point. But if not, please direct attacks at me only and let's not drag others into it.

Thank you.

...and fyi...since you don't understand why I so "horrifed" - since it has no context here and is not a joke - I took it as a snide remark about me having a penis. Ok? we good? yeah good.

Mission accomplished, Fenworth!

missed the last post - no worries - the forum is all yours.

This is probably the funniest and less relevant thread ever on this forum. Guess what? Who freakin' cares? Bottom line. Each and every day pick a new handle. It is allowed and acceptable. Just post reasonable and creative posts and not a single person will care one way or another. This is the most ridiculous post I have ever seen! Give it a rest!

FOAS, there are other people who come back to the CF reincarnated because of one reason or the other. I'm glad you are here and even though I was around when Fenworth was here, I don't remember any kind of brouhaha. 'Course, these days I don't remember what I did 5 minutes ago.

Maggie, I am glad you are here also - and many other friends.

Yay, Shaun....that says it all for me.

The buzzer rang, the cornbread is ready. 'By for now.
Teresa

Shoot...and I just recently put two-and-two together for what the acronym "FOAS" even WAS!!! LOL!!! I kept thinking, "What the heck are they talking about??? What is an FOAS?"

I'm a little slow at times....I work for the government. :-)

I'm slow too; thought they were calling out to Friends Of Adam Sandler.

Seriously, this place is for fun, not fighting. Knock it off!

-- Petaloid, who has kept the same name, so far ...

Remember the good old days when all we argued about was cornbread made with added sugar or not? I seriously pine for the good old days. I think there should be a rule that all disagreements should only pertain to food and cooking.

Can I get an amen?

Amen, but I'm not getting into that grits discussion with Roger ever again!

That was Roger, wasn't it?

Annie

Heck, I miss Roger, in an odd way....

Hey, how about we have another option in the CF Discussions, Conversations, Exchanges, Gallery, and Dukeitout. Then all the uncomfortable/disparaging posts can be isolated.

That was Roger.
After this week, I almost miss him, too.

oh my, Roger, grits, that was around 2002, wasn' it ?; we all did speculate at one point about what happened to him. He would pop up in various forums also and post in his own unique way, lol.....

Roger might be still posting under a new handle and we don't even know it, lol.

I'm an easy scam too, as far as the different names go, clueless really.
I only remember 2 controversial names from the past, together it would be sillypie.

Reading through this post made me sick to my stomach. I had to finish once I started, hoping there would be a good resolution.

I'm not young, or so naive that I think everyone on a public forum will always agree, especially regarding things as subjective as family recipes, regional tastes and methods of cooking. But lately the sniping and snarkiness has begun to take the pleasure out of visiting this site.

I have to say that even on the Discussions side I have begun to reread and second-guess my postings, concerned that a reply or the manner I've posted a question might offend someone.

I bet I'm not the only person having this reaction. This forum had become a fun escape for me, what we used to think of as "recess" at school. When the day's demands seemed overwhelming (caring for ill & aging parents, etc.) I would check in here to see if there was something new to try for dinner, or if I could offer up a recipe or tip to someone.

I've been here for going on 2 yrs. and I've never seen such a trend toward the negative as I have recently. It has nothing to do with the joy of cooking, and it's sad.

Hang in there friends, I have a feeling things will get back to... normal, if there is such a thing.

You know, in the days before iVillage took over, there was a much stronger chance of being banned (granted some was unfair) for getting too out of line. Trolls were never tolerated.

Nancy

Nancy, you brought to mind a time when Spike was in control and it didn't take much to get a 'warning' LOL> Of all places, the Growing Tomatoes forum (where I started here) had a lot of contentious threads. There was a troll "Chickenman" who would pop up under a new name every week or so. Then get banned, then back again. We found out his real name and that he was logging in at a public library to get around the rules. Actually it was kinda fun in a bizarre sort of way.

Duane

Duane, I got a couple of "friendly warnings" from Spike too, mostly due to a poster on Harvest, of all places.

I quit going to "tomatoes". I finally figured out that the only reason I could possibly grow tomatoes for 40 years was that my tomatoes just didn't know how stupid and clueless I actually WAS. So I stopped going there before my tomatoes found out and quit growing, LOL.

Annie

LOL Annie! I had the same problem with the orchid forum. Somehow I was doing everything wrong and they kept blooming. When I "fixed" my errors I managed to kill 3 of them right off the bat.

Anyway, I don't think you can consider yourself a GW "old timer" unless you got at least a couple of warnings from Spike for some sort of infraction. I sort of miss hearing about people riding the teacups! LOL!

Alexa

Oh I've been to the tea cups a few times. Those were the good old daze.

Yeah, I got a warning once. Oops! But I thought it was pretty funny when people got the teacups picture. The Roger-Cornbread Wars was in 2002? I remember that. I've been here that long? Aside from Roger, there are a few cantankerous old types I really don't miss.

Didn't almost all of us get warning by the time that grits thread was over? :D

I think I got one warning. Can't remember what the heck for. Probably cuz I refusedto say "carp" when I mean "crap"! LOL

Linda

Not me......goodie two shoes! LOL

The only time I got the cups....I d@mned near died. I was sending out multiple emails to everyone on the forum telling them I was sending a gift to a CF member who was opening a new business . Wanted everyone to know that the gift was from all of us. I got sent to the cups for "spamming" members!

No good deed goes unpunished! LOL

You know what's funny? Well, it wasn't funny then, but it is now -- the thing Spike sent to the teacups for? I didn't do it. In fact, I was trying really hard to make sure it did NOT happen.

Yeah, Linda, The Grits War was either 2002 or early 2003. I think The Cornbread Contention was after The Grits War. Then there was the Cilantro Controversy.

My point is, anytime you have a large, diverse group, there will be disagreements now and again. 95% of the time, we work it out amongst ourselves and when it blows over were still friendly.

CF was here long before any individual "problem child"; it will survive and be here long after. Most of us choose to get along, be friends, respect those who have earned it, and be part of the community. That doesn't mean we always have to agree; we often don't, but most of us know how to work and play well with others and can disagree (somewhat) amicably. The other 5% of the time, it's usually one or two toxic personalities who seem to be terminally unpleasant in general, angry at the world, and not happy unless they're stirring up drama somewhere. Why are we surprised after that long thread about NPD? Much as weÂd like everyone to be friendly, polite, and respectful, the hard truth is that not everyone is. Some people love to cause trouble. ThereÂs actually a very high tolerance for individual opinion on this forum compared to some IÂve seen. But there is a line, and once itÂs crossed, those who have a low tolerance for nonsense and insults tend to speak up. Seriously, this is such a diverse group personality-wise, that if you find yourself on the outs with a lot of people at the same time, I bet dollars to donuts that the problem doesnÂt lie with all those other people. If I find a bunch of you on my case at the same time, I know I better go look in the mirror.

I remember ole Roger and his buddy Pete(I think)they were a hoot for the most part. I think he was responsible for the exchange link and the swaps being moved over there...maybe not.

There are times when I miss Spike but he was a funny dude too.....never could tell what might set him off and then off to the cups you went. I got one warning from him and I've had my hands slapped once from Ivillage. After that I've just learned to push away the keyboard or SOB.

Overall this is the best forum I've ever been apart of on the net. I lurk at several other places here and read a couple at some other sites. Even with the drama the last couple of weeks this group of friends is easy going and fun to hang out with.

David

Yeah...Spike could be a "spike"...if you know what I mean....but, dammit, he was our spike!
The evil people have come and gone....and there is a difference between people who don't agree with us and people who think that their way is the only way....and then there are those who stir up trouble just for the sheer joy of being nasty. I think we have seen a few of them lately...trouble makers of the sort who just seem to have issues with the world....you know them. They walk into a room and slam something on the table or desk, you greet them nicely and they snap back. We know everyone has a bad day....and afterward will apologize for hurt feelings...but the really disruptive people never apologize, never offer anything to anyone else in the way of compliments...but are all over you if you don't tell them how much you appreciate them.
I used to work with someone like that....you didn't "appreciate" her she would go to the boss....and he would say...Linda...I know she's a pain...but I need her so just do what she asks...
I quit!!
This forum is sort of like that...but you don't get a pay check for staying if you aren't happy.
Linda C

I was never sent "spinning in the cups" but I did receive one or two warnings from Spike.

As for Roger and a few "other cantankerous old types" (good one Diana) that have left, I honestly can't say I miss them.

Ann

I remember Roger! He wasn't as cantankerous as some. For a nice memory, how about Janet. What a sweetheart; that was a big loss.

I thought of her just the other day....what a sweetheart...
Does anyone have contact with her DH? Wondering how he is...

Yes, there was nothing cantankerous about Janet. She was a very lovely lady.

Ann

I received one warning from Spike, just don't remember what it was for. Never went to the teacups. I don't miss the cantankerous types at all.

I've never posted as one person on this forum and came back as a diffrent person. What I don't understand is why anyone would care if someone comes back under a different name. Isn't is just a form of being a control freak to let something like that upset you. James or FOAS can come back under as many names as he likes and it will not matter to me. I'm sure many people have good reasons. Maybe they just decide to turn over a new leaf. It's supposed to be about cooking and if a person has a good recipe it's the same recipe regardless of their handle.

Ann, I think the missing is relative. LOL! Compared to a migraine, a stubbed toe isn't too unpleasant by comparison. :)

Oh...I remember Janet! I liked her! *nods appreciatively*
And there was Beth in Tokyo. I liked reading her posts, too.

I'm a goodie two shoes too! No warnings or teacup rides ;-)

I remember Roger and Pete and the grits and cornbread. Really a funny thread now, but not at the time. I think that's around the time I first arrived on the CF.

"cantankerous" what a great word.

((((Janet)))))

I spoke with Larry (Janet's husband) in the fall. He was dating a school teacher from the East side of the state and they planned to get married.

Annie

Thanks Annie, that's great news!!

That is awesome news about Larry. I hope he is happy. Another person I'm sure we all miss is Marlen, a long time contributor of great recipes!

The nice aspect of knowing these great people is that their spirit lives on in their recipes.

Alexa

Yes, I miss Marlen too. So gracious with sharing her heritage and recipes. I think of her often.

Teresa

BethinTokyo is out there somewhere. I must have exchanged emails with her at one time and she is in my Yahoo address book. When she is online, her name pops up in my Yahoo account. I have thought about getting in touch but it's been so long I am not sure she will remember me.

I used to think her name was be-thin-tokyo.

That is very happy news about Larry.

I actually got banned from GW once! I must have accidently typed an unacceptable word and found myself on the teacups. I had to change my name for awhile (I did identify myself). Then I figured out that if I changed the email address associated with my account I could sign in as Dedtired again. Unfortunately, GW emails now go to another account that I don't often check. I am still being punished for misspelling duck!

WEll Geesh dedtired - the D and the F are right smack next to each other. Anyone could make that mistake!

I must be a goody-two-shoes too...never got a warning or sent to da' cups by Spike either, but I didn't post very much back then.

Shoot, if I want drama, all I have to do is check out the Stepparent's forum!

Hmmm....maybe I'll go over to Harvest and post about making Pumpkin Butter! Naw, just jokin'. :-)

Is it safe to come back in the water?

I've been around since the days before you had to register to post and it was free, 1998 or 1999 maybe. I have done a few spins in the teacups in years past. I have also been banned twice. I have a mind and I speak it. I have since been far more restrained. I was once Browntoes, then Browntoestoo, now BarnMom. The first two were references to gardening in sandals the couple of years I lived in Napa where I first discovered Garden Web. The last one I chose when Alice gave up gymnastics and took up equestrian sports or I would have been GymMom. The irony is that I have not a rural bone in my body. I am an urban woman to the core. I am a good sport about Alice's FFA animals but really, I do not like flies or manure or dust.

I remember Roger and the cornbread discussions. Because of the grits debate I also went and bought a box of grits to try. They were okay with lots of cheese and butter. I think it's one of those things one has to grow up eating to truly embrace, like pickled pigs feet, or biscuits and gravy.

I also remember Janet and Marlen, BethinTokyo, Mique, Ryder, and some others I miss. This a community with its own culture - a culture of loyalty, kindness and good natured tolerance 99.9% of the time.

Eileen

That's what I say, Shaun, but I was shown no mercy. A lifetime pass to Disney was all I got.

Where IS Mique? I remember her posting wonderful wedding pics not that long ago....hope things are going well.

I always marvelled that Spike's censor would catch crap and yet not catch a misspelling of duck. One could potentially be talking about a dice game and the other doesn't have many other meanings.