Individual Liberty — Individual Responsibility 

Phooey!

It hasn't been a good week for inter-blog relations. Some of you may have noticed that I've taken down the Dumb Ox bloggregator that used to sit in the sidebar of my main page. This isn't because I have a problem with D. Ox.

It's because I wasn't about to increase the prominence of the bloggregator on my main page. I also wasn't about to add it to every page on the site, which is apparently a new requirement. Finally, I don't plan on limiting my posting to once per day, which was the final new requirement.

I don't usually post more than once or twice per day anyway, but sometimes I do. When I do, I don't want to be forced to put my extra postings on another blog to satisfy the new bloggregator requirements.

If you happen to be visiting a blog that participates in the bloggregator be sure and use it. There's a great group of contributors that are associated with it, and often you'll find interesting reading by clicking on the headlines. I'll miss it on my site, but not enough that I'm going to make the changes required to stay on it as an associate.

Texas Fred is somewhat ticked with me too. This because I sent him one email message about his non-scientific polling place. It's my message that he quotes in his post.

Basically, I noted that on a question that asks whether I'll be boycotting either Wal-Mart or Target this year, there was no option to say that I wouldn't be boycotting either store. Here's what the question looks like…

Here's the full text of the e-mail message I sent him (you can also read it on his blog). Please note that this is the first and only e-mail message I have ever sent to him regarding the content on his polling place.

There's no option to say I will be boycotting neither store, regardless of whether one rocks my world or not.

The question itself is biased.

Here's the full text of his response.

Then don't vote, if you don't like the questions I use, send some in... Damn Perri, I can't think for ALL of you... And yeah, I am pissed off, I am damned tired of people telling me how the stuff I use is wrong but they never bother to submit a thing...

And BTW, once a poll is set, I can't change a thing...

Biased?? You try writing the questions and answers a while, I'll use em and send YOU all the BITCH email I get telling me what's wrong with it... I am about ready to dump the whole thing over crap like this, but I'll tall you what, I'll take you OFF the email list, will that make you happy or am I being BIASED??

I've asked Fred to take me off of his blog rolls and to remove me from the Reject the U.N. contributor list. I don't need this sort of thing.

I don't think any of us do.

Update: Well, apparently I've managed to tick Fred off so much that he deletes my replies to his comments and he's already deleted my trackback to his post... Now that's a mature blogger for you.

Here's what he has to say about me and my blog (emphasis added).

Thanks Ranando, most folks DO enjoy it, but once in a while you get some sanctimonious prick that can’t be happy with 2 dozen answers, and I am goddamned tired of it, if they don’t like the questions and answer options, let THEM do a Poll Blog and see how many EXACT answers and questions THEY can come up with, in other words, SCREW EM if they don’t like it, I don’t make so much as a penny from this blog, or any other blogs for that matter, and it really doesn’t hurt my feelings at all if a certain few folks go elsewhere with their superior attitude…

And I am pretty damned sure those folks KNOW who I am referring to…

I’m a lot of things but I am NOT perfect, anyone that doesn’t like the way I write my blogs can do us ALL a favor, LEAVE, and we’ll ALL be a lot happier, at least I’ll be happier…

And one more thing, if some folks don’t like what I have to say, they start paying my bills and I’ll consider writing stuff their way…

Yeah, I am steamed over this, I was damned serious when I said, “I am tired of working my ass off” only to be criticized by some asshat that doesn’t even blog anymore, he just sets up some Open Trackback bullshit and calls it a blog…

My response to this was deleted, as was my trackback to his post from this one. Now that's a real willingness to debate.

Trackback URI for this post: http://perrinelson.com/track.aspx?postid=1095
Permalink URI for this post: http://perrinelson.com/2007/12/2/1095.aspx

Debbie responded with:

Well, there are always two sides to every story. I never like it when bloggers resort to calling each other names, it doesn't help anything. Perhaps your email was the straw that broke the camel's back, I have no way of knowing. Fred may have received emails from others on the same subject, no way to know. I had not voted on this latest poll, the Wal-Mart vs Target question. If I had the option to check "boycott neither" that would have been my choice. I don't like it that Wal-Mart has gone from Mr. Walton's vision of American made products only, to basically everything I pick up is made in China. It takes forever to shop because I have to check labels. I also don't like it that Target won't let their employees say Merry Christmas. Last year Wal-Mart near us started putting labels on their meats with SPANISH first, and the English label second. That made me mad. I complained and apparently I was not the only one. Soon the Spanish was either removed, or placed second. We don't have a huge number of Mexican/Spanich speaking people in our area, so why they did this in the first place is beyond me. But, they change it when people complained. As to you and Fred, I hope you work things out -- or not. But conflict doesn't help Conservative bloggers like us who could do a lot if we worked together.

Debbie responded with:

Sorry for the Typo. Guess I can't think and type at the same time tonight. I was up very late at a Christmas party, with hubby's band Show Time. They were SMOKIN' HOT. Country, soul, rock 'n' roll, rhythm & blues, and solid gold! http://showtime-theband.blogspot.com/ I'm glad this is just a hobby, not sure I could take going to bed at 3:00 in the morning too often. ha

D. Ox responded with: Whoa Nelly!

Dear Perri, I'm sorry if there's been a misunderstanding between you and I! I sent you email, but I am happy to apologize in public. I've always liked you and your blog, and your little dog too. Those changes on the Bloggregator I put in almost from the beginning, but never tried to enforce them. I know some of our best members post multiple times per day, you are not in that category. The reason for some restriction is that one member can push the others off the list too quickly. That's all. On the proximity to the top post, and on post pages, that is just a question of fairness, no? If other's are putting it in their sidebar near the top of every page? It's all a trade off of space and looks. I understand your concerns too. I put the Bloggregator in my main space under the post a bit. It takes a click to get to it. There's a wide variety of ways that members have put it in their blogs. In any case, I'm not looking to be nasty. I think we should all be about common cause in our little corner of the blogosphere! If you have some ideas about how to do the Bloggregator better, let me know, I'll listen and try to accommodate your concerns. The Bloggregator was always about increasing readership for us all and spreading the love! Take care my friend, Tom (a.k.a. D. Ox)

Perri Nelson responded with:

D. Ox, there's no need for you to apologize. I still consider you a friend and am quite willing to point people to the bloggregator. I'm just not ready to make the changes that you request.

D. Ox responded with:

p.s. I have not removed you from the Bloggregator or my blog rolls! I'll let you figure out what you want to do. Peace, peace, peace. Tom (a.k.a. D. Oc)