Jod, you are a dear lady, and I truly mean that. Anyone who doesn't want to witness me being nice, you'd best cover your eyes.
You give me way too much credit, I'm no superhero, or even anyone that special. I don't have a genius IQ...what I do have is a decent brain that I use to MY full potential. Everyone has that capability, and when I see people not doing that, and being deliberately stupid...yeah, I get upset. You don't have to be a genius to be smart, see my comments above re: common sense. I have zero patience or tolerance for people who don't use it.
I don't want anyone to always agree with me or my opinions, I want them to have their own as long as they're sound, and they can back it up with some logic. I'm not out to win any popularity contests, and frankly don't care who agrees with what I have to say or not. I have always spoken my mind, whether it be on a forum or in real life, and I'm not about to change now. I've never been a follower, but I don't relish the leader role either. If you want to know how I really feel, I find it all a bit embarrassing. I have voiced this to more than one person before, including Bryan....and it is precisely why I asked him to lock the thread when I left.
I think for the most part I have always tried to respect the regular posters here, with a very few exceptions, and in my mind anyway, there has always been a valid reason why I've been less than kind at times. As I said to JP, I have also tried to be as kind and as helpful to newbies as I could. But this guy just took the cake for me, and my comment about peeing my pants was not meant to be taken for disgust, but literally. I found the guy so over the top and off the wall, that the only possible reaction I could have was to laugh my ass off.
As for you earning my respect? Don't be silly, you already have it. Do you know how happy it made me to see you post "your" opinion in this thread? I know you told me how shy you've always been, and to see you feel comfortable enough to say how you really felt, did my heart a world of good. It is irrelevant if I agree with you, or you with me....we are adults, and there is nothing wrong with healthy debate on heated subjects, as long as it's conducted in a civil manner, and doesn't become personal.
Nitro on the other hand gave me no reason to respect him whatsoever. Why should I? Someone who is supposedly a doctor, a lawyer and a millionaire doesn't have the scruples to NOT play at a rogue casino, AFTER he's done his research...and I should respect that? And then to throw out that offer he did to Happy was, in my mind, an attempt at validation for himself. To prove himself here. Well, sorry, but in my world it takes alot more than money to prove what type of person you are and what makes you tick. And I have zero respect for him. Had he come here and presented himself differently, I'm sure I'd feel different. But this is the way it played out.
And please keep in mind that I'm not the one who threw out any personal insults to any regular members in this thread. That honour lies with someone else, and I've made my feelings known via PM.
So Jod, I think Bryan was definitely right about one thing for sure....this thread certainly served a purpose..it brought you completely out of your shell. Isn't that a good thing? I may have started the process, but the rest of the credit is all yours. Always speak your mind, I will always respect that...and I would hope that others here would afford me the same courtesy.
BTW, I was going to PM this to you, but I guess you've disabled your PM function? Oh well, so now the whole world gets to hear...not like I'm shy or anything.