move on dennis, move on.

Thanks for the information, Tyler. I’ll have to study “spam” to see if your information is accurate or ask the FCC.
Is there anyway to communicate with the Post that fits with your suggestion to “give it a rest”? Can I just leave brief comments without referencing my blog?
For example, would one comment a day of 100 words or less fit with the “tone” you want at the Ojai Post?
I’m glad to learn you have a thick skin and don’t take things personally.
By hand count the previous text was 84 words just to give you an idea of what my example would look like while meeting our needs and preserving freedom of speech.
Thanks again.

Dennis – let me put this bluntly, but respectfully -
With rare exception, you have shown a striking inability to be a part of the conversation without trying to be the center of attention. Whether it is 2,000 word essays or psychoanalysis of other authors and commenters, your contributions scream out “Look at me!”
Imagine yourself at 17 years old, perhaps a freshman in college. You are a smart kid and just starting to learn about the injustices and greater goings-on in the world. How can everyone around you not see what you see? How can they not be up-in-arms about the truth and what is right?
Well, you are home for the holidays, and your parents are having a party. Lots of adults around, and as the night wears on, the conversation flows from politics to jokes to relationships to confessions to general silliness. There’s debate and laughter and maybe even a couple tears.
And you come in from your old room, right into the middle of the living room, and seeing the conversation has turned to something you’ve been reading about, you launch into a 2,000 word speech on the “truth” and how everyone should feel and why the world would be a better place if everyone believed as you did. You tell your parents’ best friends that their lack of education is painfully obvious, and its why they don’t know what they are talking about.
Thing is, Dennis, you may be right on a core issue, but you’re what people call a “buzzkill”. The actions of that 17-year-old kid were inappropriate in a social situation – it was a fundamental misread of how to read the social situation and communicate appropriately, within the context of the conversation.
The result of your actions would be numerous – the Smiths and the Nelsons say, “well its getting late, we better get on home.” Mr. Appleby gets angry and starts to argue with you. You become the center of attention at a party that formerly had a nice flow. Your parents are embarrassed.
You found, at subsequent holiday parties, that sometimes it was OK to listen. It was OK to say “hey, nice puppy, Mrs. Henderson”, instead of lecturing her on why pets are patriarchal and the world would be a better place without them.
I get that “fitting in” to you is antithetical to your beliefs, and its the problem, not the solution. I get that you believe in “free speech” and you “fear censorship” and that you think I am telling you what to do and how to be.
But I’m hosting the party. This isn’t a one-on-one conversation in the corner of the kitchen. It’s the middle of the living room.
And I am doing my best to respect you and your views while still making sure the larger community is having fun and getting something out of the party. And if you can’t learn how to NOT be the kid who can’t help but be the center of attention (vis-à-vis this very thread), then you have to “give it a rest.”
Which is the beauty of having your own blog. You can say whatever you want for as long as you want. You can put a soapbox out in the garage and leave the door open for whoever wants to come in from the party.
What you can’t do, per my previous comment, is come running in to the house and yell out that you’re having your own party in the garage every ten minutes. The garage door is open – if people want to wander in because they dig what you’re saying, then you’ve got your own party, and you make everyone feel as welcome as you like, in the way that you think is best.
Meanwhile, I’m looking out for this party. “Don’t take it personal”

Thank you, Tyler and Leigh. If there were any Ojaians that I would want for ideal parents, you two would be the ones.
I am imposing on my 17 year old inner young womam a guideline that I think will be acceptable for the guests at your party.
From now on she will be restricted to one comment per day and that limited to 100 words or less. She has agreed to these terms and apologizes for her past bad behavior.
Her name is Dennis Joy Leary, Joy for short.
She says that the commenters on the Post are correct in their assessment of Dennis. He is patriarchal, narcissistic, attention-seeking and disruptive of good adult behavior.
From now on Joy will do more of the talking in brief, discreet tones and will certainly not spam since she hates the stuff.

Dear Tyler,
Thank you for the link to Malcolm Gladwell. I am always amazed at the variety of subjects that you manage to cover here; and it is always a treat to find pasta sauce on the profundities.
Thank you, also for the kind and insightful way with which you treat your readers.
Your party is, indeed, an enjoyable one.
Keep up the good work and happy 2009!

I think you are thinking like sukrat, but I think you should cover the other side of the topic in the post too…