The Flax has left the building

[flaxattack]

This will be my last post. Some of you might be happy. Especially Dave Houck and the rest of you oversensitive jerks.  
My post on the chinese has been removed because one or some of you found it offensive because YOU read more into it than others. Some putz found it profane.  
so if one or few people find something not to their liking, the post gets whacked.  
i have been a member of this site for a long time. in that time i have seen a steady decline in the quality and content of some of the conversations in here. many of my old friends dont bother coming here or posting anymore.
WHY? Because dave has now become the master of free speech. Dave now determines what is and what is not to be posted on the site. So the thread is now called post what dave likes or if someone has an issue that is THEIR problem and not others and emails dave, he'll say that others have complained. Horse----.
i have always held the position that this was OUR thread. not dave's. But apparently he thinks he is cool so he has the right to censor. If someone throws up a reply in a thread that the thread offends etc, he is now compelled to do whatever he wants for the good of the rest of us.
Purely subjective and nothing more than that.
 
If i had made my post hosed' by the chinese and a firemen found it offensive, dave will whack the thread. If someone posts something retarded like i spend all day hearing the f word and i dont want to see it in the site, however stupid the remark dave feels compelled to censor. and if you call someone out on it. Dave sensors it.  
Some of you folks in here are  spineless oversensitive morons. You'd sooner be s--t all over than stand up than defend yourself because you dont want to offend anyone. Youre offended by the least little negative thing. This is the real world for you. Pass the thorazine please.
Ive had friends BANNED from the site for speaking up on issues, speaking their mind, and worst of all offending dave houck.
 
To my friends in here. keep in touch
to the rest of you- read my mind!
To Dave- shame on you dude. youve turned into an old close minded fart.

[jerryme]

No offense Flax but the Alembic board does not exactly seem like the place to air out your political opinions... From a fellow deadhead my advice would be to take yourself a little less seriously!  
 
Colin

[mike1762]

Ouch!!!  Honestly, I think Dave has a completely thankless (and unpaid) job.  He has allowed many of the more diversive threads to run much longer than I would have.  I've been on the receiving end of a few condescending posts and it stings.  While I know Alembic had nothing to do with those posts, it occured on the Alembic Club forum and I can't help but associate that feeling of (mild) humiliation with Alembic.  I think that is what the moderator is here to prevent.  This is NOT an open bulletin board and Alembic wants everyone's experience here to be a positive one since (rightly or wrongly) it DOES reflect on their company.  That being said, I generally enjoy Jeff's posts and I will miss him.

[the_mule]

Jeff, there's other places to vent remarks that touch on the xenophobic, luckily this board isn't one of them. Not solely your responsibility because you can't influence the even more questionable responses it yielded, but your thread simply turned into a disgrace to this forum. Should have been cancelled after only a few replies. Replace the Chinese in the topic title with Americans and it would have been in a heartbeat. Not impressed by the way you handle this, and you attacking Dave, the best moderator I've ever encountered on any forum in the world wide wastelands, is totally uncalled for.
 
Wilfred
 
(Message edited by the_mule on August 02, 2009)

[glocke]

I dunno.  If this is about the made in china drywall thread that was recently closed I really didnt see anything very offensive or xenophobic about it, and didnt see any personal attacks hidden in there.  As a matter of fact I found it informative, as I had not yet heard about that issue.
 
Anyway, hope you stick around Jeff...go light a fat one and unwind.

[jet_powers]

Let's see. Trouble with people in bands. Trouble with people on this site. Hmmm. What's the common denominator here? Then again, what do I know? I'm an oversensitive jerk... or a spineless oversensitive moron. I never realized this about myself. How enlightening! Thanks!
 
Oh yeah, what glocke said.....
 
(Message edited by jet_powers on August 02, 2009)

[dnburgess]

Which part of racial vilification don't you understand?
 
This is not the place for it.

[eligilam]

I love the Alembic club posting site.  It's great (for me) for a few reasons:
 
1.  Pictures and discussions of awesome, expensive basses and guitars.
 
2.  A helpful crowd that can usually come up with an answer to any musically-related question I happen to have, from recording to wiring to scales and theory to mp3's, etc.
 
3.  A diverse crowd that can chime in with a plethora of experiences on most musically-related subjects.
 
4.  The occasional heated thread.  Common players here include/included the_eight_string_king, our buddy flax, Toma_hawk01/Hal/hendrixclarke, and other colorful characters.  A lot of times, these threads, while entertaining, would make me slap my forehead and think I can't believe so many people take this board so seriously.
 
5.  Dave's input and moderating, because I guarantee that any davehouck post longer than 2 or three lines will contain some pithy nuggets that are well-worded, multi-faceted, and just plain interesting.
 
Thanks to all, including flax and Dave, for making this an interesting place to visit a couple of times a day!

[hydrargyrum]

I would be the putz who found your thread profane Jeff.  My suggestion would be that you continue to post (leaving solves nothing), and try not to take things so personally yourself.  Dave is just trying to protect Alembic's business.  Let's just keep it to instruments shall we?  You can go just about anywhere else on the internet for the other stuff.  I don't think staying on topic is a limitation of speech (it's just respectful).
 
/no hard feelings from me

[john_judge]

I never commented on this post because the topic did not really have anything for me to contribute until now, my freedom of choice was post or not to post, but always I think it out before I do so I am fairly prepared for what may come from the thread, like opinions discussions and debates.
 
As far as equipment and factory goods go, yes I I must say my first car was a lemon that was american made, my first bass was Chinese cheaply made,  then I bought a american made strat that the headstock broke off while I was sitting there playing it, then a Korean acoustic guitar that the bridge came up unglued...and here's the Biggest one of all for ya!.. My custom made double neck Alembic Bass arrived with a cracked seperation in the Lams behind the fretless and with a short in the Leds on the eight string neck...After I waited 14 months for it. But I am here talking with people.
Yeah somethings are clicky around here but that's life everywhere. certain people pair up because they choose to or they relate more or have communicated to each other through email which I do the same myself.
 
Bottom line I chose to buy all these things, and I did purchase an Apex 460 Chinese mic for $80.00 that when I replaced the tube in it I can put it next to my Neumann U87 and I can barely tell a difference and most other people never will. So the bottom line is buy what you like and hope it all works out and if not then change your flavor, or deal with it.  There are many ways to express one's self , but yes everyone has the right to stay here and talk or get out, it's that simple, but I choose to reason out the facts first. my Final thought here is when I start a new thread I think about it first to see if it's gonna stir the pot too much and if I think its going to then I have plan B to smooth it out such Like the case of the raffle, what most people didn't know that I emailed Mica and told here about how the debates on it were going so she then stepped in and made the comment to end the idea

[crobbins]

I like Chinese food. Mmmmm sweet and sour chicken...

[David Houck]

Jeff has been a member here for a long time and has posted a lot of messages; so I tend to think of him as someone that I know, at least to the extent that you can know someone through online contact.  Knowing him to the extent that I do, the things he cares about, his relationship with his family, his art, his music, knowing these things to the extent that I do, I have developed a great amount of respect for him.  And knowing him to the extent that I do, just through the personal contact of this board over many years, I think of him as a friend.  And again, knowing him to the extent that I do, limited to the extent that you can know someone solely through online contact, I have a great amount of compassion for Jeff.  From where I sit, extensively limited a vantage point as it is, it?s my feeling that Jeff has endured much pain in his life.  But also from where I sit, I feel very strongly that Jeff has a good heart; he is a very caring person.
 
Each of us has walked a unique and extraordinary path in life, and no one else can know what it is to walk our particular path.  Jeff?s post at the top of this thread may appear to be about me, but I believe there is a lot more going on beneath the surface; stuff that has nothing to do with the Alembic club.  All of us have stuff going on; stuff that from time to time can overwhelm us; stuff that can affect the way we react to stimuli.  I can certainly understand that Jeff, or anyone else, would react when finding that I had deleted the text of his post.  And for each of us, the way we react to such situations is affected by other stuff going on in our lives at the moment.
 
Jeff and I share a lot in common, our views on social issues, our love of the Grateful Dead, our love of Alembic instruments and our respect for the makers of those instruments.  I can?t know what he?s been through in his life, or what he is going through now, but I do know that he has a good heart; he is a good person, and he is certainly worthy of my compassion.
 
So, I do hope that each of you will take into consideration the broader context within which this thread, and this club, occur.  Personally, I wish I lived closer to Jeff so that we could sit down together and talk.  The person to person stuff just works a lot better than the online stuff.  But we don?t.  So, I hope Jeff remains a member of our community.  But whether or not he chooses to do so, I do hope the best for him and his family.  He has a good heart, and I hope that he finds happiness wherever his path leads.

[afrobeat_fool]

Yeah, I hope you stay Jeff. I too appreciate the diversity and knowledge all of you bring to the site. I am proud to be here, and respect all of the opinions and positions here stated. Everyone seems very genuine, and I did not take the post as anything other than one persons need to share his experience. ESPECIALLY, when the post turned to Global irresponsibility, and people successfully defended China's craftsman industry.  
     Thanks, Nick

[pauldo]

yep - what they said. :-|
I don't know but I really wanted to jump into the Chinese thread, I may have actually posted once - I have ALL KINDS OF OPINIONS about buying local and why we should - but as Dave mentioned it is often very VERY difficult if not impossible to get certain points across via a keyboard and monitor....
 
Jeff - I forgive quite readily (I think it is because I also forget quite readily - but that was probably all the weed in my formative years...) - what I'm trying to say is don't be afraid to chill for awhile and then come back and stay apart of this community.

[shao]

I have quit this forum before, myself.  I joined this forum under the name of Thomas, when it first came out, forgot my password and joined again later under a new name, and became a senior member that most people on this board know.  Paul was under a 100 posts, believe it or not.  However, it got to the point where some members were playing the elite speakers, admonishing others for their comments, so I just deleted my account and left.  I came back recently so I could look through the for sale stuff, and read the Misc. section sometimes.  You know, the section that is made for any subject to be discussed.  As for Dave (and some of you others), I am in agreement with Flax.  At times, I wish Dave would just shut up with his 'feelings' crap that he dishes out.  Be as much of a psycho-babble guru as you want, but quit telling people you understand much of anything about them.  Know that some people do not like your interjects, and cponsider what you have to say as offensive.  I have eaten enough crap from you over the years, so have a serving of mine for a change.  If you are going to 'uphold the rules of the board,' then do just that.  There is no need to write paragraph after paragraph of crap 'explaining' the situation and how you understand how others feel about it.
 
BTW - I thought the title of Flax's post's was in bad taste and a bit thoughtless, but I did not feel the need to bandy about a senior member over it.  OK, carry on.  I vented, so now I'm just here for the sales news, again.  Y'all have fun now.