Best holiday wishes to all!

[bfreebern]

Good grief .... another Freebern post?! LMAO!!

Merry Christmas everyone! hohoho

Love you too buddy.

 

[Strayvector]

You're just a slacker. What's with this school, work, family stuff? Sounds like you're bored!

Life is a road it has bumps, twists and turns. You my friend are in mid journey, thanks for the viewpoint. Sometimes we all get lost with what a priority should be, myself included.

Now start posting some reviews, I miss the desert and picture reviews!

Desert is me, dessert is Wilkey. Good grief, do we really look that much alike?

Cheers, Wilkey. Happy Holidays to you and yours, my friend.

 

[tone-ny]

You're just a slacker. What's with this school, work, family stuff? Sounds like you're bored!

Life is a road it has bumps, twists and turns. You my friend are in mid journey, thanks for the viewpoint. Sometimes we all get lost with what a priority should be, myself included.

Now start posting some reviews, I miss the desert and picture reviews!

Desert is me, dessert is Wilkey. Good grief, do we really look that much alike?

Cheers, Wilkey. Happy Holidays to you and yours, my friend.

LOl you know you all look alike to me :whistling:

Yes dessert it is, not the desert!

 

[jfields]

WTH did he just say? ???

Seriously Wilkey, this place is like life, constantly evolving. It can never be the same as it is that first magical year that we all first join. But, the good far outweighs the bad, and sometimes it does us all good to just step away and re-think things for awhile. Makes you understand and appreciate what brought you here in the first place.

Good to see you around. You have a Happy Holidays yourself buddy.

 

[Ginseng]

I gotta get whatever he's smoking.

Have a great holiday with yours also Wilkey.

Haven't you heard? Smoking's bad for you.

You're just a slacker. What's with this school, work, family stuff? Sounds like you're bored!

Life is a road it has bumps, twists and turns. You my friend are in mid journey, thanks for the viewpoint. Sometimes we all get lost with what a priority should be, myself included.

Now start posting some reviews, I miss the desert and picture reviews!

Desert is me, dessert is Wilkey. Good grief, do we really look that much alike?

Cheers, Wilkey. Happy Holidays to you and yours, my friend.

LOl you know you all look alike to me :whistling:

Yes dessert it is, not the desert!

Doh! He didn't just say that. Did he? :laugh:

Must I refer you to the very educational scene from that seminal Asian-American Film, Ping Pong Playa?

Doctor: "Mr. Wang?"
Christopher: "It's Huang," doc."
Doctor: "I'm sorry. Wong."
Christopher: "Not Wong, Huang."
Doctor: "Wong."
Christopher: "Huang."

Wilkey

 

[LilBastage]

Happy Holidays, Wilkey. I hope you and yours are blessed with life's great pleasures.

 

[tone-ny]

I gotta get whatever he's smoking.

Have a great holiday with yours also Wilkey.

Haven't you heard? Smoking's bad for you.

You're just a slacker. What's with this school, work, family stuff? Sounds like you're bored!

Life is a road it has bumps, twists and turns. You my friend are in mid journey, thanks for the viewpoint. Sometimes we all get lost with what a priority should be, myself included.

Now start posting some reviews, I miss the desert and picture reviews!

Desert is me, dessert is Wilkey. Good grief, do we really look that much alike?

Cheers, Wilkey. Happy Holidays to you and yours, my friend.

LOl you know you all look alike to me :whistling:

Yes dessert it is, not the desert!

Doh! He didn't just say that. Did he? :laugh:

Must I refer you to the very educational scene from that seminal Asian-American Film, Ping Pong Playa?

Doctor: "Mr. Wang?"
Christopher: "It's Huang," doc."
Doctor: "I'm sorry. Wong."
Christopher: "Not Wong, Huang."
Doctor: "Wong."
Christopher: "Huang."

Wilkey

In this PC World, I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!

 

[benjiev]

Funny how the little detours in life move us around.

Happy Holidays to all of you here at CP. I look forward to being here a little more next year!

May all of you have a Happy, Healthy holidays full of laughter and cheer!

The Honorable
BenjieV

 

[Blue Dragon]

Merry Christmas buddy! Family first! ... but don't go too far, we are your family too.

 

[cigar smoke]

Merry Christmas Wilkey. Good luck on the job search.

Bob

 

[Mike33]

I'm glad to see you posting again Wilkey, even if it is in a limited role. Happy holidays to you and your family my friend :thumbs:

 

[moki]

Sometimes things get intense. I get intense especially when viewpoints clash. I reflected on this and came to the realization that I was drifting down a dangerous road. I wasn't proud of my own behavior. And worse, I was starting to believe my own hype, a serious form of self-delusion that often leads to disaster.

I believe your hype, Wilkey! No cigar is worth anything unless it is rolled on Castro's supple thighs!

But seriously, you know your stuff, and you contribute quite a bit. Don't sell yourself short.

As I think of it now, there really and truly is no such thing as a FOG. No one ever really attains the title because it is not a condition or a state. It is a process and an unending one that requires periodic reflection and the ruthless honesty to admit failure so that a wrong path can be righted. Traveling the road of FOG means to be just when you see wrongdoing. To be gracious when one is wrong. To be charitable when one is right. To be virtuous but never righteous. To be called a FOG does not mean you have achieved something. Rather, in the best of cases, it means that others have recognized your commitment to promoting that which is good for the one as well as the all and in a way that is consistent with fostering personal dignity.

You're absolutely right there... it's like respect. You can't buy it. You can't demand it. People need to freely give it to you... and you can lose it quickly.

 

[BlindedByScience]

Sometimes things get intense. I get intense especially when viewpoints clash. I reflected on this and came to the realization that I was drifting down a dangerous road. I wasn't proud of my own behavior. And worse, I was starting to believe my own hype, a serious form of self-delusion that often leads to disaster. I had lost sight of the natural, fluid nature of relations on the forum and started to pressure myself to teach and preach the example rather than lead by example. The example of charitable, inclusive, positive brotherhood and friendship.

Thank you, Wilkey, for putting into words a feeling I've had for some time and couldn't put my finger on. My CP New Year's Resolution is to be a positive, "lead by example" person, and do my best to eschew the bomb throwing that goes on occasionally. I guess you could say it's "fun" but long term, I do believe it's way less than productive.

From me and my family to you and yours, Wilkey - Merry Christmas and have a safe, happy holiday season.

The very Best Regards - B.B.S.

 

[IBQTEE1]

Happy Holidays to you and yours. Lead by example my friend.

 

[Rebel Herfer]

Must I refer you to the very educational scene from that seminal Asian-American Film, Ping Pong Playa?

Doctor: "Mr. Wang?"
Christopher: "It's Huang," doc."
Doctor: "I'm sorry. Wong."
Christopher: "Not Wong, Huang."
Doctor: "Wong."
Christopher: "Huang."

Wilkey

Wilkey - your example is a good one! Thank you for your contribution to the community! The only thing that is constant is change.

So ... Melly Kissmas! Fa-rah-rah-ru-rah-rah, rah rah rah ra!

and a Happy New Year Mr. Lover-of-stinky-Cheese!

 

[tsmckenney]

But seriously, you know your stuff, and you contribute quite a bit. Don't sell yourself short.

Yeah, what the Rock Star said.

 

[mrjinglesusa]

Happy Holidays Wilkey and very, very well said.

 

[sinnyc]

I just wanted to take this early opportunity to wish all my CigarPass brothers and sisters a most joyous holiday season. Whether your holiday is Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Festivus, I hope that it will be filled with all that makes life the rich and wonderful blessing that it truly is.

********* Warning! Philosophical digression ahead. *********

I haven't been around much lately for a number of reasons. School, job hunting, family, etc. You know, the standard stuff. But I've also taken some time away to examine my expectations of the whole forum experience...as well as my place in all of this.

Sometimes things get intense. I get intense especially when viewpoints clash. I reflected on this and came to the realization that I was drifting down a dangerous road. I wasn't proud of my own behavior. And worse, I was starting to believe my own hype, a serious form of self-delusion that often leads to disaster. I had lost sight of the natural, fluid nature of relations on the forum and started to pressure myself to teach and preach the example rather than lead by example. The example of charitable, inclusive, positive brotherhood and friendship.

As I think of it now, there really and truly is no such thing as a FOG. No one ever really attains the title because it is not a condition or a state. It is a process and an unending one that requires periodic reflection and the ruthless honesty to admit failure so that a wrong path can be righted. Traveling the road of FOG means to be just when you see wrongdoing. To be gracious when one is wrong. To be charitable when one is right. To be virtuous but never righteous. To be called a FOG does not mean you have achieved something. Rather, in the best of cases, it means that others have recognized your commitment to promoting that which is good for the one as well as the all and in a way that is consistent with fostering personal dignity.

Meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha.

I have met the Buddha...

In the coming year, I still may not visit or post as much as I used to. But you have my word that when I do, it'll be in the true spirit of the best that this community has to offer.

With kind regards,
Wilkey

Heya Wilkey,

While I clearly understand your sentiment, I feel there is one thing you may have overlooked regarding FOG's. FOG stands for F!cking Old Guy. I'd like to focus on the Old portion of the acronym. In this case, the word does not relate to one's actual age but rather to one's longevity on this board. I don't believe that tenure alone bestows some mystic wisdom or glow of entitlement. However, being a long-time, positively contributing member of this, or any, online community (and thus a FOG) does reveal certain things about the individual. Such a person evinces a sustained interest in the subject matter and a proven willingness to be one of the voices guiding the community's life and evolution. More importantly, such a person must, almost by definition, spent a great deal of that most precious commodity, time, to accomplish this, and have done so of his own accord as this community is all-volunteer.

So, I disagree with you here:

To be called a FOG does not mean you have achieved something.

I think that to be called a FOG does mean you have achieved something: to me it means you have been a stalwart part of making Cigar Pass what it is, and that's a fine thing. To you it means:

in the best of cases, it means that others have recognized your commitment to promoting that which is good for the one as well as the all and in a way that is consistent with fostering personal dignity.

Either way, I don't think it needs to mean anything more: that sounds about right to me.

Wilkey you damn FOG, Happy Holidays to you and your family and here's to a Happy (or Happier) New Year for us all.

- Tim