Quality forum

[bacarver]

Hi -

I recently joined another forum (and quickly changed my mind) and was really shocked at the unacceptable behavior and style.
The language was upsetting. The scattered format was confusing. The lack of caring was obvious. Enough already.
It makes me realize how lucky we are to have such a caring, thoughtful group of really nice participants here with the TE gang.
Even when conflict is present, there is an attitude of maturity and tolerance.

So, THANK YOU for being such a tremendous community!

Barb

[Pax]

I'm right there with you Barb, this place is like an oasis of caring and civility in the desert of boorish and hateful internet forums.

[sundial]

That's because we have wise women who rule this forum and a few good men. :D

[short cut sally]

I really agree with you Barb, I also joined another forum and really don't visit much. I've posted maybe twice in the 4 months since joining and what i did post was just conversation stuff, nothing contraversal and I got picked apart about my run on in a sentence..ok...so i'm not an english genius. i find it hard to go back and I joined hoping to broaden my horizons as I really only belong to this forum and come here daily, ok, so maybe 5x's a day:D. I do enjoy the atomosphere here much better..at least no one has critisized me for my run on's here..yet .. :eek:

[sundial]

.at least no one has critisized me for my run on's here..yet ..

Zen hasn't posted yet. ;)

[bluebug32]

I agree. This is a great forum. I've been on other forums where 25% of the questions are about interesting (albeit redundant) technical stuff, 50% from a man wondering what bike to buy his girlfriend/wife to try to convince her that she loves biking more than life itself, and 25% of which the answer was always "try a diva cup." :eek:

[Trek420]

Zen hasn't posted yet. ;)

Just wait till the grammar & punctuation grinches (sp?) catch up. Long live TE :) While there has been drama but I can't think of a thing that has not evolved and calmed into talk of chocolate and beer. :p

Boorish hateful flamers quickly tire and move on to greener pastures. May TE always be an island of calm, wisdom and humor :cool:

[Melalvai]

Would the other forum be Bike Forums, by chance? I finally gave up on them because of such problems.

[Zen]

Zen hasn't posted yet. ;)


Just wait till the grammar & punctuation grinches (sp?) catch up.

Are you two baiting me?

I believe when referring to a group, grinches would be correct.
Belonging to one grinch would be grinch's, yes?

[Mr. Bloom]

Hey Barb...we rode across the 231 bridge at Rockport last weekend...almost made it to you!

Come ride with us or join us at the Horsey next weekend:D;)

[sundial]

Are you two baiting me?

I believe when referring to a group, grinches would be correct.
Belonging to one grinch would be grinch's, yes?

Who? Me? http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/characters/character0233.gif (http://irritable-bowel-syndrome.tumblr.com/)

[Jolt]

Would the other forum be Bike Forums, by chance? I finally gave up on them because of such problems.

I was wondering the exact same thing! I started out there (before I knew about TE) but got tired of the amount of rudeness so came here instead--big improvement!

[KnottedYet]

There is a women's invitation-only bit there, but from excerpts I've seen, it is literally the home of chicks who complain about how TE is nothing but a bunch of godless pagan vegetarian lesbian witches.

(I get a kick out of the fact that the one who posted *that* comment still comes back to TE and quietly hangs out. Guess we're not so bad, after all?)

[Trek420]

what? We aren't? Oh right, I'm on the wrong forum again. Forgot we're not all vegetarians here. ;) :rolleyes:

But seriously, we're a global group who might never meet IRL; Commuters, racers, fixie riders, mountain bikers, runners, swimmers ... all over the globe, all over the map politically and literally. I think we have a common love of sport, the outdoors and chocolate.

Off to have some steak ;)

[Zen]

Speaking of steak, IFJane and I are eating at the Pig N' Steak tomorrow night! Y'all come!

[madscot13]

the road forum on BikeForum is terrible, but I think the touring and long distance cycling is really helpful. I have also pm'd a few people and they have responded promptly, helpfully, and kindly.

[Velobambina]

There is a women's invitation-only bit there, but from excerpts I've seen, it is literally the home of chicks who complain about how TE is nothing but a bunch of godless pagan vegetarian lesbian witches.

(I get a kick out of the fact that the one who posted *that* comment still comes back to TE and quietly hangs out. Guess we're not so bad, after all?)

What's wrong with being a godless pagan vegetarian lesbian witch?

OK, I can claim only one of those attributes now (occasional witch)....

[lph]

Just wait till the grammar & punctuation grinches (sp?) catch up.

Oi! What's wrong with being a grammar grinch now then! Us grinches need a place to be too! ;)

:D

[OakLeaf]

This forum reminds me of the old days, before The Internet As We Know It, when people were required to use their real names and that rule, as well as general good manners, was enforced by moderators known as SysOps because they had to take care of a lot of the technical details of the forums, too.

The good old days, back when we had hand-cranked 300-baud modems and steam-powered computers, and we had to WALK to the socket to plug in a PHONE cable to connect and it was UPHILL both ways and we paid by the MINUTE and we LIKED it.

I love you guys.

-Oak, godless pagan christian, vegetarian who occasionally eats meat, grammar witch who uses run-on sentences

[sbctwin]

I love this forum :p:):D;):o:rolleyes:

[Andrea]

Isn't godless & pagan an oxymoron? I don't know that much about paganism, though, so I could be wrong, but I thought there were many pagan gods & godesses?

Anywho, I stick with this forum & roadbikereview. I often refer people to this forum for advice, because RBR doesn't have near the collection of helpful gals that TE does (although the few that are there are pretty cool).

[SouthernBelle]

Aside from our group wonderfulness, I really prefer the BB software used here. Other boards that use other stuff don't tend to keep me for long because I just don't want to wade through them.

[jobob]

BikeForums has some good regional forums.

The Northern California forum, for instance, has a lot of very nice people. Many group rides are planned, and it's a good place to find Northern CA - specific cycling info.

And I agree with madscott - the LD and touring forums are pretty good too.

[Pax]

...-Oak, godless pagan christian, vegetarian who occasionally eats meat, grammar witch who uses run-on sentences
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb217/Deepliquid/Smilies/ROFL.gif

[divingbiker]

The old folks in the 50+ forum at BF are great, too. There's an ongoing thread now about a 66 year old man who's riding across the US (with a group) doing centuries+ every day. One man has died, his wife broke her pelvis, and another had to withdraw because he was on the verge of a heart attack. It's riveting.

[bacarver]

No, I wasn't on Bike Forum. Since I discovered TE, I haven't even looked for another cycling chat group 'cause this one is #1.
I was searching for a social phobias chat room and realized that my toughest days aren't worth the abuse that experience put me through. If I wasn't a wreck before participating, I would be afterward. (Shudder/Shudder) I think I even learned a few new bad words!!
Silver - I'm on my way to Colorado soon for a change of scenery. Steve and I are going to put 3000 miles on the SUV in 12 days. Ask me later if we're still speaking! I'm sure we'll be ok. We're good travel pals. No cycling during the trip darn :( but we will hike as much as possible.
I don't know how we got on the topic of "godless pagans", but I recently had the chance to meet an earth-based pagan wiccan and she is a genuinely nice, caring, interesting person! I did some reading and learned about the goodness that exists within their beliefs. So, there is a complement here in the midst of the name calling war!

Keep being the best group ever!
Barb

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Don't forget godless atheists! :D

[ginny]

we're a bunch of godless lesbian witches? Awesome! I find it so tedious to deal with the right wingers... am I being inflammatory now? Has anyone planned a pagan naked summer solstice ride yet?

[Zen]

And Pagan atheists.

[Pax]

Has anyone planned a pagan naked summer solstice ride yet?

I'm trying to wrap my head around the idea of riding a bike nekkid! I don't mind being nekkid...I just can't imagine what sitting on the seat would feel like. :p

[Andrea]

Has anyone planned a pagan naked summer solstice ride yet?

I'm in.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

And Pagan atheists.

How can anyone be a Pagan atheist?? Isn't that like saying a Catholic atheist or something?

signed,
an atheist.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

we're a bunch of godless lesbian witches? Awesome! I find it so tedious to deal with the right wingers... am I being inflammatory now?

Well, just to be fair- there are plenty of tedious left wingers around too. :cool:

[Geonz]

And lots of boisterous righters.

Professional Grammar Grinch here!!!

No Fragments pleas.

I have my mail set to tell me whenever "dahon" shows up, and it got me to a "bicycling"forum that reminded me very, very much of a high school boys' athletic gathering. Trash talk and lovely pictures were their idea of a good time (nothing past a PG rating but completely sexist attitude & conversation). Reckon they'd be awfully bored here... I didn't stick around.

Here, on the other hand, my goal is to convert all these pagan Diva-cup worshippers to... oh, I keep forgetting...

Sometimes a very small group can change (for better or worse) the whole flavor of a forum. I love doing that ;)

[Melalvai]

I'm trying to wrap my head around the idea of riding a bike nekkid! I don't mind being nekkid...I just can't imagine what sitting on the seat would feel like. :p
That's the true test of a comfortable seat!

[Pax]

That's the true test of a comfortable seat!

I wonder what the LBS would say if I showed up to test out seats that way. :eek: :D

[Geonz]

Snork... They'd love it. Talk about it for years. I can hear 'em now... let's form a posse and show up on nekkid bike ride day ;)

But for a bunch of godless pagan atheist unitarian-jihadists, an awful lot of things like prayers happen around here!

[Possegal]

let's form a posse and show up on nekkid bike ride day ;)

wait a second, i don't do nekkid :)

[mimitabby]

You guys are clearly not from around here.


dang, i can't put the link down, my company won't let me access it.

google fremont parade or fremont fair.

we have a parade every year which has nude cyclists in it.


I'm a pagan heathen. Neither word originally meant anything bad.
Heathen = from the heath, country person

Pagan = outsider or hick

[jobob]

Well I for one am not godless.

I have accepted the Pillsbury Doughboy as my personal saviour. :cool:


http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/7465/doughboy.jpg

[Pax]

Well I for one am not godless.

I have accepted the Pillsbury Doughboy as my personal saviour. :cool:

Ooooh, you're one of those Canoodian or Yuropeen Doughboy worshipers. ;)

[RoadRaven]

Isn't godless & pagan an oxymoron? I don't know that much about paganism, though, so I could be wrong, but I thought there were many pagan gods & godesses?

A godless pagan is just an elitist statement inferring that because one person doesn't believe in a particular god, any gods they do believe in are redundant and wrong... (of course, in the context of this thread, I do realise it was originally a statement made tongue in cheek :) )

Yes, many gods an goddesses depending on which "pagan" you are talking about.

For pagans branded as witches by the middle-ages (a "habit" which has continued down the generations as witches are neither magical nor evil, but simply those in touch with the natural world), there are not really a plethora of gods and goddesses, but rather one god and goddess who work in equality, or a goddess and her male "consort". (It is also interesting to note that not all 'modern-day' witches believe in a supernatural being and are, by that definition, atheists!)

Pagans are also very tolerant of "other" deities, and accept that in the end, every one's 'god' does the same job -just in different ways...

Stepping off my spiritual soap-box

Road~ (my goddess gave birth to your god) ~Raven
:p

[dachshund]

Well I for one am not godless.

I have accepted the Pillsbury Doughboy as my personal saviour. :cool:


http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/7465/doughboy.jpg

I would just like to point out that said doughboy IS nekkid except for the tie, hat, and the single glove... mit... thing.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

This was a long time ago now, and has been discussed a couple of times already. Hey don't take this the wrong way, -but speaking of great and positive forums, perhaps it's time to move forward from it? :o :)

I belong to another sport forum too (not biking) and let me tell you it's a JUNGLE out there! :eek:

[salsabike]

This was a long time ago now, and has been discussed a couple of times already. Hey don't take this the wrong way, -but speaking of great and positive forums, perhaps it's time to move forward from it? :o :)




I agree. Let's keep it the way we described it when this thread was started.

[madscot13]

The old folks in the 50+ forum at BF are great, too. There's an ongoing thread now about a 66 year old man who's riding across the US (with a group) doing centuries+ every day. One man has died, his wife broke her pelvis, and another had to withdraw because he was on the verge of a heart attack. It's riveting.

I need to find this forum and catch up!

[Fredwina]

Gee, and i thougt PAGAN stood for People Against Goodness And Normalcy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragnet_(1987_film)):rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[RoadRaven]

ROFLMFAO...

TOOOOO funny, Fredwina!

Have to tell my P.A.G.A.N friends this one!

:D:):D:):D

[latelatebloomer]

There was a news story some years back about some drug arrests of teenagers out in Amish country. The article said the kids had gotten the drugs from some Pagans. There was an immediate outcry from my coworkers at the organic farm -

"But my pagan friends would never...I don't....pagans are really... we'd NEVER...that's completely against...."

When I could stop laughing and up off the floor, I finally got out the words.
"Not the worshippers, you dopes, the MOTORCYCLE GANG!!!!!!"

[Trekhawk]

There was a news story some years back about some drug arrests of teenagers out in Amish country. The article said the kids had gotten the drugs from some Pagans. There was an immediate outcry from my coworkers at the organic farm -

"But my pagan friends would never...I don't....pagans are really... we'd NEVER...that's completely against...."

When I could stop laughing and up off the floor, I finally got out the words.
"Not the worshippers, you dopes, the MOTORCYCLE GANG!!!!!!"

Snort!!! Love it.:D

[malkin]

Oooh yah, choklit and beer...I have a hard time fitting in with that crowd crowing about pie all the time.


I can never get the crust the way I like it.

;)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Oooh yah, choklit and beer...I have a hard time fitting in with that crowd crowing about pie all the time.


I can never get the crust the way I like it.

;)

Hey wait a minute!- MimiTabby's DH makes excellent pies, and he just finished a 250 mile bike ride yesterday! Baking pies and riding bikes go together well! :p

[bmccasland]

Hey wait a minute!- MimiTabby's DH makes excellent pies, and he just finished a 250 mile bike ride yesterday! Baking pies and riding bikes go together well! :p


Cherry? I love cherry pie.. ;)

While there is LOTS of good food in this town, pie making isn't very popular for some reason. I miss good pie.

[sundial]

Cherry? I love cherry pie.. ;)

While there is LOTS of good food in this town, pie making isn't very popular for some reason. I miss good pie.

You should know of at least one person that can make a great sweet potato pie. Or fried pies. ;)

[Geonz]

THere's a whole thread over at bikejournal devoted entirely to pie.

[bluebug32]

Ooh...pie is definitely a food group

[sundial]

LOL! http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/characters/character0104.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net)

[Andrea]

You should know of at least one person that can make a great sweet potato pie. Or fried pies. ;)

Mmmm... I crave sweet potatoes now. I must have them!!!

[malkin]

I stir up trouble every where I go.
All I bake is cake, though! :D


and I do a decent job of impersonating Trader Joe's Druid Circles

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I hope it's a full moon. I don't have a light.


I have to agree I lurked for a while before I posted on here. There are alot of forums that you get just flat out flamed for being a newbie. We all started somewhere right?

And someone said Sysop. OMG.

latelatebloomer you must be from SE Pennsylvania. I grew up near Lancaster PA and the Pagans were out of Oxford. I don't think I would be riding bike nekkid with them tho.

Thanks for being easy on the newbie :)

[mimitabby]

I hope it's a full moon. I don't have a light.


I have to agree I lurked for a while before I posted on here. There are alot of forums that you get just flat out flamed for being a newbie. We all started somewhere right?

And someone said Sysop. OMG.

latelatebloomer you must be from SE Pennsylvania. I grew up near Lancaster PA and the Pagans were out of Oxford. I don't think I would be riding bike nekkid with them tho.

Thanks for being easy on the newbie :)

get flamed for being a newbie? are you serious? Some people are just jerks i guess!!!
no, i believe the more the merrier!

[sundial]

I think Mimi should ride the Big Dummy loaded with her delicious pies as our reward for riding by the pale moonlight. ;)

[Trek420]

get flamed for being a newbie? are you serious? Some people are just jerks i guess!!!
no, i believe the more the merrier!

We've done it, when I say "we" the Royal We, which is either the Queen/King or us and the tapeworm :cool:. We've been harder on newbies than we oughta, ignored urgent questions because we "just can't take another 'help, I'm new, don't know what to do about....." thread etc.

The group is not perfect.

Difference here is when things go awry they are quickly corrected, we go back to talking about pie .... and beer .... people apologize. :D

Some of us actually MEET like IRL. Keeps you honest, and nice.

Long live TE :D

[mimitabby]

I think Mimi should ride the Big Dummy loaded with her delicious pies as our reward for riding by the pale moonlight. ;)

IMPORTANT CORRECTION

MIMI does NOT make pies. Raleighdon does.

[mimitabby]

We've done it, when I say "we" the Royal We, which is either the Queen/King or us and the tapeworm :cool:. We've been harder on newbies than we oughta, ignored urgent questions because we "just can't take another 'help, I'm new, don't know what to do about....." thread etc.

Some of us actually MEET like IRL. Keeps you honest, and nice.

Long live TE :D

I really do try to respond to newbies, and when i don't have time, i try to assure them that SOMEONE will be along soon to help (unless they sound like a teenaged boy)

[Susan Otcenas]

Come ride nekkid in Portland, Oregon.

http://bikeportland.org/2007/06/10/report-naked-ride-satisfies-despite-premature-pull-out/

WARNING: NOT FOR VIEWING ON YOUR OFFICE COMPUTER. Pretty tame for the most part, but there is some full frontal nudity.

Susan (and no, *I* don't ride nekkid, but I admire those who are brave enough to bare it all...)

[OakLeaf]

Come ride nekkid in Portland, Oregon.

That made me laugh thinking about all the people here who are worried about what germs they might catch from chamois lube. :p

[Trek420]

Thanks but no thanks ;) :rolleyes: Few, very few wanna see me nekkid ;)

Susan, you have a request on aisle 5 to carry this brand. We have some who'd rather wear these than nothin' :cool: riding nekkid is cheaper.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?p=320840#post320840


I really do try to respond to newbies, and when i don't have time, i try to assure them that SOMEONE will be along soon to help (unless they sound like a teenaged boy)

"Your question is important. Please hold, a TE member will be with you shortly unless you sound like a teenage boy."

[Geonz]

Snork... luv the sig, trek420 :) "your question is important..."

True, the occasional post sounds like its voice is just cracking a bit...

[Zen]

MIMI does NOT make pies. Raleighdon does.

I don't care if Mrs. Smith makes them, just bring 'em :D ;)

[Susan Otcenas]

Thanks but no thanks ;)
Susan, you have a request on aisle 5 to carry this brand. http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?p=320840#post320840


Trek, I just responded to this over on that thread. :)

Susan

[malkin]

Pretty sure that riding nekkid would mess up my Brooks.

[mimitabby]

Pretty sure that riding nekkid would mess up my Brooks.

nah, it's real leather. My leather undies are fine... :cool:

[Flybye]

Ahem, then there are the Bible thumping born again Christians like myself and numerous others.

We all love each other (or at least tolerate, or use the ignore option (which I have never used)) and respect or learn to respect each other and our views. It is fun to see what happens when we all get put in the same bag and shaken up. Interesting.

How in the world did this thread go from a quality forum thread to religion and steak? :confused::confused::confused:


Whatever the topic may be, yes, this is a great forum.

[sundial]

IMPORTANT CORRECTION

MIMI does NOT make pies.

How come? Do you at least put a thumbprint in the pie crust? :)

[mimitabby]

How come? Do you at least put a thumbprint in the pie crust? :)

are you kidding? Do you think i'd mess with a Raleighdon Pie??? he makes them FOR me sometimes, and sometimes he even lets me peel the apples.

[Zen]

are you kidding? Do you think i'd mess with a Raleighdon Pie??? he makes them FOR me sometimes, and sometimes he even lets me peel the apples.

all the good men are taken :( ;)
Does he have a brother?

[Trek420]

He has sons :p

[mimitabby]

all the good men are taken :( ;)
Does he have a brother?

I'm sorry to say that he has two brothers. Believe me, you don't want to come near either of these @##%#%#.

neither has been able to hold a steady job in their entire life. One is currently on full disability and spends his free time playing bridge, the other... honestly, i am not sure what he's doing because he's unemployable irrational and nasty... but he's a hard worker. HOwever, both are great cooks, make wonderful pies and one even makes sausage.


The reason i ended up with Raleighdon is because I dated his irrational nasty brother once.

and I have a very sweet son who is still available (the other is engaged) who has a career at this point as a TA at the university in grad school.

[shootingstar]

Ok you have a pie-making hubby, mimitabby.

My dearie..is really into making his own applesauce. After calculating how much it costs to feed his sugarless applesauce fix from store, he started to make the stuff every wk. for himself.

It's good, creative stuff....he buys a whole bag of apples at discount, chops it all up..and tosses in whatever his heart desires: fresh ginger root, cinnamon, crushed aniseed (it's a lovely addition), cardamon, nutmeg and sometimes fresh mint. It's a huge soup stockpot bubbling away..

EAts it all up every week with his daily yogurt. He gets real sensitive when I help myself to huge gobs of it. :o

For his birthday next month, I've bought one of his gifts....a real apple-peeling machine. :D

[Trek420]

and I have a very sweet son who is still available (the other is engaged) who has a career at this point as a TA at the university in grad school.

Yep. Check the FS thread, he's up for offer. Didn't we suggest at some point a potential date review section? "date this guy, don't date this one" :rolleyes:

Oh, don't know if this is a thread hijack or not, maybe no since it relates to good stuff we do around here (though there was some flaming of a newbie :(). I quarterly send my Bicycling Magazines to MSG Hall and his guys in our Club Baghdad.

Good news for him and his family, he gets to come home in late July!

[Crankin]

Yes, these are all reasons I don't participate in any other forum. I do log my miles on BJ, but I don't read the posts or write any. I used to participate in an English teacher forum, but even that got testy once in awhile.
And while we are patting each other on the back, I would like to (publicly) thank Triskelion Girl for sending 2 packages to my son in Iraq.
And he is still available for any of the younger forum members. He'll be back in San Diego in October. He runs, rides (was a Cat 3 in high school), swims, and is a great cook. Financially responsible and very intelligent, if I may say so.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

oh I hope I didn't confuse anyone- the flaming was not on TE- it was 'elsewhere'. One time was when I wanted to get some feedback on a bike I was contemplating buying- and it wasn't real constructive. Surprise surprise! Someone said it well- you tend to keep it real on here, which I like.

Flybye- loved your sig about criticism is for those that don't want friends. I think I'm going to get a shirt made with that one!