Has anyone ever become obsessed with you?

[Gandalf]

If I could sad click you 50 times, I would. Honestly.

Now that is what I call butt hurt.

[Youngblood]

Miles, I think you fail to realize that many of us only care to get meaning across on an internet message board. We don't try to add some sort of whimsy and writing flare to our posts in the pathetic and pretentious manner you do, because we simply are not of the same breed of attention whore that you are.

Glad we got that sorted.

[Gandalf]

Miles, I think you fail to realize that many of us only care to get meaning across on an internet message board. We don't try to add some sort of whimsy and writing flare to our posts in the pathetic and pretentious manner you do, because we simply are not of the same breed of attention whore that you are.

Glad we got that sorted.

Generally speaking I do too, but it is good to have your own identity. My posts are pathetic and I'm an attention whoreish? Erm, okay. I call it having a laugh and also being to laugh at one's self. I might be pretentious, but it's not as though I am not self mocking too. I just post in my own style and generally speaking I tell an anecdote in a smooth reading, humourous way. I don't think anecdote telling is one of my weak points. It's one of my strengths. For instance, my jungle account is lovely stuff. Okay, one or two errors in there because I too was typing in haste, but on the whole a jolly and charming piece of writing.

[Youngblood]

Miles, the curious part of your response was the suggestion of being rhetorical in style. I mean, seriously?

I understand it is human nature to project, thus you may be staring into the looking glass a bit when judging those around you. Case in point, your use of the word rhetorical.

Let's break it down some to it's raw element. The word rhetoric.

rhet·o·ricnoun /ˈretərik/ 

1. The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, esp. the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques
2. Language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content

I suggest that you are in fact sir, projecting your own inability to write in a simple and straight forward fashion, fueled by a need to try and impress us, the readers. Which is okay Miles. I don't/won't hold it against you, nor should others. Miles gonna be Miles I say. But to act as amat suggested, in a snobby manner that we may be lacking in some form of writing ability from your high perch of narcissism, is a bit laughable with your verbosity and pretension hanging out for all to see.

[Andre]

Miles, the curious part of your response was the suggestion of being rhetorical in style. I mean, seriously?

I understand it is human nature to project, thus you may be staring into the looking glass a bit when judging those around you. Case in point, your use of the word rhetorical.

Let's break it down some to it's raw element. The word rhetoric.

rhet·o·ricnoun /ˈretərik/ 

1. The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, esp. the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques
2. Language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content

I suggest that you are in fact sir, projecting your own inability to write in a simple and straight forward fashion, fueled by a need to try and impress us, the readers. Which is okay Miles. I don't/won't hold it against you, nor should others. Miles gonna be Miles I say. But to act as amat suggested, in a snobby manner that we may be lacking in some form of writing ability from your high perch of narcissism, is a bit laughable with your verbosity and pretension hanging out for all to see.

I couldnt of written that in a pink fit! Thats very big boy talk for a whipper snapper

I can shoot from the hip fast but wow thats with aim and skills way beyond my 9th year of education.

[Andre]

Im fuckin hopeless i recon I have to cut and paste a word or two into Wikipedia at least once a week. the auto word correcting thing is a must too

[amat]

Miles, I can honestly judge you as a douchebag. I am a journalism major with grades at the very top of my class. I'm about to transfer to one of the ten best English programs on the planet Earth. I do not need your approval. Honestly, it's not a big deal to me. Still, I know you're an English teacher and it does kind of piss me off. I would think that since most of us are adults here that we are above that, yet obviously your pettiness knows no boundaries. If I had a shit life like you do then I might fall into the same trap. I like reading your posts but critiquing a drunken rambling of mine is petty at best.

[Gandalf]

No, you can both write well when you put your minds to it, but I didn't enjoy Amat's story. You two are being extremely defensive. It wasn't a very good story and I suggested my jungle story as a more successful anecdote. And that is clearly a better one. I also wanted to have a dig at Amat for his peeing standing up thread as he started that just to wind me up. Amat saying he wants to sad click me 50 times means we are even.

Anyway, Amat you are pissed off over this? Well, think before you have a dig at other posters yourself then. It's easy to find something to attack someone over and your toilet thread was far more juvenile than this. I have no particular beef with you, but thought it would be a laugh to have a go at your story. It wasn't done with any particular malice, but your last post displays plenty of those qualities. My life is not particularly shitty, I am enjoying a 10 week vacation, have been to the jungle and have been able to enjoy my free time. See, I have no idea why it has to get so personal. This weekend I am going away to the mountains which contain some wonderful valleys and long lakes. My life is quite pleasant, but if it makes you feel better to think that I am so much more miserable than you are then fair enough. Let me know when you get a job because there aren't that many good journalism positions out there anymore. Miaow!

And YB, I would agree that a fair amount of my posts are indeed of the nature you bolded and more so when I am in what you call "attention whore" mode or what I would also term my "self mocking" mode. But 'rhetoric' also has other useful definitions and clearly number 4 below is what I regard as the most significant. I generally use my language effectively and have a hard time seeing that as a valid criticism of me. It's easier just to call me 'arrogant', 'pompous' and so on, but usage of rhetoric is not a particularly valid criticism.

rhet·o·ric

   [ret-er-ik] Show IPA
noun 1. (in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.

2. the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.

3. the study of the effective use of language.

4. the ability to use language effectively.

5. the art of prose in general as opposed to verse.

[Andre]

No, you can both write well when you put your minds to it, but I didn't enjoy Amat's story. You two are being extremely defensive. It wasn't a very good story and I suggested my jungle story as a more successful anecdote. And that is clearly a better one. I also wanted to have a dig at Amat for his peeing standing up thread as he started that just to wind me up. Amat saying he wants to sad click me 50 times means we are even.

Anyway, Amat you are pissed off over this? Well, think before you have a dig at other posters yourself then. It's easy to find something to attack someone over and your toilet thread was far more juvenile than this. I have no particular beef with you, but thought it would be a laugh to have a go at your story. It wasn't done with any particular malice, but your last post displays plenty of those qualities. My life is not particularly shitty, I am enjoying a 10 week vacation, have been to the jungle and have been able to enjoy my free time. See, I have no idea why it has to get so personal. This weekend I am going away to the mountains which contain some wonderful valleys and long lakes. My life is quite pleasant, but if it makes you feel better to think that I am so much more miserable than you are then fair enough. Let me know when you get a job because there aren't that many good journalism positions out there anymore. Miaow!

And YB, I would agree that a fair amount of my posts are indeed of the nature you bolded and more so when I am in what you call "attention whore" mode or what I would also term my "self mocking" mode. But 'rhetoric' also has other useful definitions and clearly number 4 below is what I regard as the most significant. I generally use my language effectively and have a hard time seeing that as a valid criticism of me. It's easier just to call me 'arrogant', 'pompous' and so on, but usage of rhetoric is not a particularly valid criticism.

rhet·o·ric

   [ret-er-ik] Show IPA
noun 1. (in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.

2. the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.

3. the study of the effective use of language.

4. the ability to use language effectively.

5. the art of prose in general as opposed to verse.

So you'll be standing then

[Gandalf]

No, you can both write well when you put your minds to it, but I didn't enjoy Amat's story. You two are being extremely defensive. It wasn't a very good story and I suggested my jungle story as a more successful anecdote. And that is clearly a better one. I also wanted to have a dig at Amat for his peeing standing up thread as he started that just to wind me up. Amat saying he wants to sad click me 50 times means we are even.

Anyway, Amat you are pissed off over this? Well, think before you have a dig at other posters yourself then. It's easy to find something to attack someone over and your toilet thread was far more juvenile than this. I have no particular beef with you, but thought it would be a laugh to have a go at your story. It wasn't done with any particular malice, but your last post displays plenty of those qualities. My life is not particularly shitty, I am enjoying a 10 week vacation, have been to the jungle and have been able to enjoy my free time. See, I have no idea why it has to get so personal. This weekend I am going away to the mountains which contain some wonderful valleys and long lakes. My life is quite pleasant, but if it makes you feel better to think that I am so much more miserable than you are then fair enough. Let me know when you get a job because there aren't that many good journalism positions out there anymore. Miaow!

And YB, I would agree that a fair amount of my posts are indeed of the nature you bolded and more so when I am in what you call "attention whore" mode or what I would also term my "self mocking" mode. But 'rhetoric' also has other useful definitions and clearly number 4 below is what I regard as the most significant. I generally use my language effectively and have a hard time seeing that as a valid criticism of me. It's easier just to call me 'arrogant', 'pompous' and so on, but usage of rhetoric is not a particularly valid criticism.

rhet·o·ric

   [ret-er-ik] Show IPA
noun 1. (in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.

2. the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.

3. the study of the effective use of language.

4. the ability to use language effectively.

5. the art of prose in general as opposed to verse.

So you'll be standing then

Clearly I will have to adjust my position in order to gain greater respect around here.

It's just amusing how I am the one always accused of not being able to take a dig and yet whenever I dish out anything people are always defensive and far ruder in return. I take a lot of abuse on here myself and think I handle it fairly well these days, but people shouldn't be surprised if a little mud comes back sometimes.