Charlie says Adiós

[charlie]

It was fun at first getting to know you all. Mostly things were
civil and I learned a lot ...... that is until the election.

I like and respect many of you, but the number has dwindled to
the point that it is no fun any more trying to find the few nuggets
that occasionally come up.

The old saying that one should not discuss religion and politics
with casual acquaintances has proved to be apt in my case.

I warned this forum before the election that we should try to
stay away from politics ..... and then was sucked in big time much
to my chagrin.

Now the trend is to bring religion into many threads ...... and it is
creating further division.....and making me heart sick at many of
the sentiments I see expressed here. I don't see that changing
so I am abandoning ship.

Did anybody see where Ted, TH and Bob_Smith went?

Adiós

Charlie

 

[KB]

By Charlie....Chuck-Lyn

I can kinda relate...

 

[73ss454]

Charlie,
Hate to see ya go.
I feel the same way as you do. I read everything on this thread except anything that has anything to do with Religion or Politics.
Nothing good ever comes from these conversations.
Maybe you should do the same as I do, just skip over it.
In any event, best of luck.
Regards,
JOE

 

[BristolBane]

Charlie, I was wondering if anyone else was feeling this way. I'm not even religious and this stuff has been making me cringe. Why people can't show common decency and refrain from mocking/disparaging other people's faith is beyond me.

 

[Brat]

The easy solution is not to read or post to threads that are offensive. There is little that can be done to prevent them, but each of us has within us the power to ignore them.

No need to leave, just don't give away your power.

 

[wabmester]

Charlie, I have great respect for anybody who can get that little accent mark over the o in adiós using a US keyboard. Take a break for a while, and then come back. Maybe the tone will have changed, and there will be some new blood here. And unlike Ted and TH, who both blew themselves up from their own tenaciousness (perhaps combined with some untenable positions), you seem like a down-to-earth guy. You're my retirement role model. A laundromat and wood working -- the perfect retirement combination of a cash machine and a creative outlet.

 

[LovesLife]

Charlie,

Your post makes me feel sad. I, too, was very distrubed by the comments tossed around here about people's beliefs. I just tried to be tolerant of other's opinions and gloss over it. I really respect your stand but wish you would reconsider. It really is a shame to lose such a good person like you from our board.

Take care.

LL

 

[brewer12345]

Hey charlie, don't go! We need the "voice of experience" here. Just ignore the religion, etc. nonsense. Works for me.

 

[REWahoo]

Did anybody see where Ted, TH and Bob_Smith went?

Remember the song "Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide..."? Unfortunately, that's the way it is when it comes to the subject of politics and religion. If you need an illustration of this, just take a look at what is going on in the Gaza Strip right now.

Sorry to see you go Charlie. Wish you all the best.

REW

 

[Dawg52]

I too understand where you are coming from. I just try to skip thru the threads that make me cringe. Not always easy to do.  As others have said, take a break for a couple of weeks. That's what I do when my golf game heads south. 

 

[Zipper]

You have let us know that it's your way or the highway.

Typical of the Religious Right fundamentalist mindset.

Don't equate yourself with Bob_Smith. He was a real class act!

 

[Martha]

Charlie, you and I don't see eye to eye on political issues but I have always found you polite and helpful to all. I really would hate to see you leave. Plus you are really sensible on the money issues.

At least stop by and visit often.

 

[retire@40]

Religion and Politics do not belong in the ER Forum unless it relates to ER, and even then it could "evolve" into a problem thread.

For example, if you say ER has given me more time to go to church and pray, that's fine.  But if that "evolves" into a whole discussion of why praying is or isn't important, it goes outside the focus and purpose of this forum.

I just stay away from any threads that are not ER related.  I find it a waste of my time to have to sort these out like I have to sort out the spam from my email.

When you post, please remind yourself that this is the ER forum, not the talk-about-anything-in-the-world forum.

I can't make people stop posting non-ER stuff, but I can avoid responding to it.

 

[brewer12345]

Religion and Politics do not belong in the ER Forum unless it relates to ER, and even then it could "evolve" into a problem thread.

For example, if you say ER has given me more time to go to church and pray, that's fine.  But if that "evolves" into a whole discussion of why praying is or isn't important, it goes outside the focus and purpose of this forum.

I just stay away from any threads that are not ER related.  I find it a waste of my time to have to sort these out like I have to sort out the spam from my email.

When you post, please remind yourself that this is the ER forum, not the talk-about-anything-in-the-world forum.

I can't make people stop posting non-ER stuff, but I can avoid responding to it.

While I am not a fan of the religion & politics topics, I note that this is on the "anything goes" section of the board. It is a simple matter to ignore this section if one is so incined.

 

[unclemick]

Charlie  take a breather and then come back - please!

You know - over ten years at the dougnut shop - we keep coming back - even with weird mixture of lefty(aka me), ex Marines, A Scot, en-ga-neers, certain retired er ah govt agency types. Must be the dougnuts. This forum is a pussy cat in comparison.

A few red faces and loud voices fron time to time - but the sugar kicks in - nobody has been thrown out or left.

The Brit moved to Whidbey in WA and the retired Lutheran minister had a sudden heart attack in his early 60's at their vacation cabin on Lake Michigan.

There are other topics - and this be a pretty good ER forum.

 

[Nords]

Did anybody see where Ted, TH and Bob_Smith went?

Sorry to see you leave, Charlie. I think this board's positives outweigh the negatives, even without an "Ignore Poster" button!

Please let us moderators know any specific changes you'd make. I'm not promising anything but we can factor your feedback into decisions (which some think are being made with the advice of a Magic 8 ball). Or does that sentence sound too much like an exit interview?

Ted went back to work and good riddance. I don't think we'll ever see him on any ER board again and I haven't seen him pop up on any of the financial boards I read (although I have my doubts about Vig Avilynn on the M* "Investing DURING Retirement" board).

TH is at t_h@comcast.net. He lurks here and he stays in touch. He has his hands full with his 1-year-old. Maybe he'll be back, maybe he won't. After two decades of this stuff, starting with BBSs & 300-baud modems, it's hard to believe that he'll really walk away.

Bob_Smith never made the transition from the old board to the new. His e-mail bounced and we don't know where he went. Let us know if you learn what happened...

 

[Eagle43]

Charlie,
Please re-consider. You are one of the people I like to read most, because you are generally calm and reasonable. I try to be cute sometimes, and wind up annoying people. Some have done the same to me. My thought is, so what? You cannot expect a forum with world-wide participants to have the same opinion. Should religion and politics be on an ER board? Why not? We discuss air conditioners, refrigerators, gardens, laptops, cars, siblings, fishing, golf, world-temps, food, etc. Religion and politics are part and parcel of ER, I think, certainly as much as those other things. I still think of this as a giant fence, and we're all gossiping, like they used to do when I grew up. I don't have to like or agree with any of the posters and vice versa. I do try to be civil, most of the time.

Anyway, just rambling. Think about it, and at least drop in from time-to-time.
B C N U Later
Eagle

p.s. You gotta come back to sell that flat tax!

 

[Danny]

Charlie, you got just about everybody crying here.
I worry for the emotional imbalance of the Forum.
We're begging you not to put yourself and most of us through this trauma.
What will it take? - a new Sub-Category - Controversial Topics? or Warning Enter At Your Own Risk. ?
I didn't know you were here until this topic arose and now after reading these posts I now have very warm regards for you.

DanTien

 

[maddythebeagle]

That's too bad and I think we all wish you good luck. I think that this forum is mostly good and learned a lot. Where else can you get so much info. and have the occasional milk shot out your nose. :laugh

 

[riskadverse]

Sorry to see you go - even though I didn't like your politics, your financial information was interesting.  I still think we should have a category "religion and politics" and move any post that reference either to that forum.  I for one would never read it - I doubt if anyone here could change my views on either, and I'm pretty sure noone would be convinced by my ideas to change their views on either.  

 

[haha]

What will it take? -  a new Sub-Category - Controversial Topics? or Warning Enter At Your Own Risk.  ?

How about "Adults Only- You Must Be 18 or Older To Enter"?

Ha

 

[sgeeeee]

Religion and Politics do not belong in the ER Forum unless it relates to ER, . . .

Here's the problem I see.:

The current administration has been driving an agenda to destroy reform social security, to eliminate the current tax system in favor of an un-Fair Tax, to bankrupt drive up the defict of the government. That's political, but it has huge implications for retirees.

And now, this same administration wants to fight a holy war in Iraq (driving the deficit even higher), to drive science from the schools in favor of their religious view of the world (destroying our future competitive advantage in technology), to require that federal judges agree with their religious views on abortion (leaving us with a future expensive social problem).

So religion has been brought squarely into the politics that will affect all retirees. We better talk about religion and politics, because that's what's going to do us in if we don't.

 

[BristolBane]

Also signing off from here. Thanks for the ideas and advice. Good luck to everyone with their FIRE plans. Adiós.

 

[haha]

Here's the problem I see.:

The current administration has been driving an agenda to destroy reform social security, to eliminate the current tax system in favor of an un-Fair Tax, to bankrupt drive up the defict of the government.  That's political, but it has huge implications for retirees.

And now, this same administration wants to fight a holy war in Iraq (driving the deficit even higher), to drive science from the schools in favor of their religious view of the world (destroying our future competitive advantage in technology), to require that federal judges agree with their religious views on abortion (leaving us with a future expensive social problem). 

So religion has been brought squarely into the politics that will affect all retirees.  We better talk about religion and politics, because that's what's going to do us in if we don't. 

Amen Brother SG.  Halleluiah and Hosanna.  8)

Ha

 

[haha]

Also signing off from here. 

Bye-bye, B-B.

Ha