Wednesday, March 25, 2009

And Now A Word From Your Hosts




Hello all.

This is a fun snarky blog, no? Meant to be a source of mirthful snark aimed at an attention junkie who expects only fawning attention despite her litany of daily assaults on the Internet.

We'd like our comments to stay focused on the subject at hand.

Recently, always at around the 50-comment mark, they seem to devolve into ridiculously embarrassing commenter-on-commenter sock puppet wars that are sending readers fleeing or prompting them to e-mail us to beg for executions.

This isn't Gawker Media; we can't do executions. But we are going to start killing out comments every time they contort into shrieking skirmishes that have absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand. That includes the first person to weigh in on this thread to blame any other commenter for the madness.

Much like Jackles has made Rambo seem like a classy, dignified and intelligent blogger by comparison, all these threadjacks do is make our utterly lunatic subject appear utterly sane by comparison. That's saying something, and I would hope that's not anyone's intent.

Thanks for your understanding.

94 comments:

  1. Jacy, I'd give you a hug if I knew who you were. And if I wanted you to know who I was.

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  2. clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap etc.

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  3. This is probably the third time I've commented but, YEAH! The sock puppet crap really DOES take away from the hilarity that often happens here. Spit and vitriol kind of make it not so funny.
    So... snark and parse on.
    I love to have my mascara run down my cheeks from laughing - while eating cupcakes - in my tutu.

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  4. Yay Jacy!! This was post was desperately needed.

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  5. I lift my morning vodka in your direction, lady!

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  6. Don't most internet communities take this trajectory eventually? The path was laid out by usenet over 10 years ago. Something starts off as funny and interesting, peopled by intelligent and humorous posters with worthwhile things to say, then as time passes, degenerates into chaos, spams and trolls. The kinds of people who are attracted to snark will predictably turn in on themselves for fodder again and again.

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  7. People were saying this website was going down the tubes ever since day 1. I'm not worried about it. Keep on keepin' on, snarky ladies! This is my favorite place to stop on the web. :P

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  8. To quote Miss Julia Allison Baugher herself: "Thank you dear lord."

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  9. Anon: I understand that's the problem. Clearly we are not attracting the sweetest, most well-adjusted and kind-hearted of readers. We all have inner assholes. But we must try to do what must be done to keep it somewhat under control.

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  10. 11:04 Eventually everything turns into 4chan, amirite?

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  11. Julia: if you are reading this - these soul crushers are your audience and fans, they love to hate you. The guttersnipes are your primary audience, you might as well step out of denial and start playing to them.

    It's time to stop casting yourself as the little mermaid and start modeling yourself more on cruella de ville or alexis carrington.

    Why don't you and Mary Rambin do a TMI where you read out a scene from "What ever happened to Baby Jane"? Obviously Mary is Joan Crawford and you are Betty Davis, Megan can be the maid.

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  12. Oh Jacy, I might have to make Inner Asshole my new name. Just like GOOP nourishes my inner aspect, this website nourishes my inner asshole.

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  13. OMG I love Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowen!!!!!!

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  14. Why don't we just shit all over people when they make banal pedestrian observations about Julia's waistline. Personally I would LOVE to see Julia hit 200lbs.

    "Oh she wants to be just like Oprah!" - as if Oprah was so incredibly profound. As if self centered, self glorifying housewife's friend Oprah has any more depth than JAB, they're peas out of the same pod.

    Eat more cupcakes my darling! Eat and Enjoy! then document the consistency of your cupcake bowl movements for us.

    And as for criticising her make up - don't you really think they more she trowels on the better? I do. As long as we are making her famous for nothing she might as well camp it up. Run Wildstein with it girl.

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  15. i also have an outer asshole. (sorry, i had to!)

    but on another note, BRAVO! let's stay classy, RBNS!

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  16. I agree, anon 11:18. If Julia Allison wants to be like her hero, Self-Worshiping Oprah, then she's got the fad diet/yo yo weight gain thing pretty much harnessed. Was her latest video her "how did it get to 200 lbs." Oprah moment? Keep going, Julia! You're not nearly there yet! Keep scarfing down the cupcakes and booze! Then maybe someone will give you a free personal trainer and chef, just like Oprah!

    And please... more fuzzy discussions on spirituality and self help books! And you and Oprah are both from Chicago - better defend that hometown, girlfriend! Can you please confess some childhood traumas, just like Oprah? We'd LOVE to hear what contributed your arrested development. And we already know your audience is just SCARFING UP your "Favorite Things" recommendations like Blueprint Cleanses and headbands. Can you do a special holiday edition? Cause girlfriend, this housewife knows all too well how easy it is to pack on the holiday pounds like you talked about in your super relatable video.

    At least you got your single-name twitter wrangled from it's old user. Good job! If you just keep up the HARD WORK and focusing on what's REALLY important, you'll get there eventually. We promise!

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  17. Julia, I hear that Jonathan Franzen is current working on his next novel...Why don't you ask him if he'd let you handle promotions by way of Nonsociety?

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  18. Woah woah woah, on a post about NOT going O/T people are bagging on Oprah?! Also -- whatever anyone may say about Oprah, I feel confident in saying she has worked harder than JA ever has or ever will.

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  19. I think it's less about banging on Oprah, and more about the absurdity of Julia "Life Is Just SO HARD" Allison even contemplating that she could ever reach the level of success that Oprah has achieved.

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  20. I didn't read the original post as saying that we should never go off topic, especially if it's just for fun and related to the overall mission on RBNS. If I'm in the wrong, I apologize to Jacy.

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  21. whatever, this post was written by scarymary.



    JUST KIDDING!!!!

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  22. I love that you guys are all cheering for basically what you all originally bagged on NonSociety for. So the mods are going to subjectively decide which posts they find to be unacceptable. Sounds familiar. Only we're supposed to TRUST THEM, because they're HERE and not THERE. I find plenty of shit people say here offensive or too dumb for words, but I'm a big enough kid to be amused by it or skip it. Is it really such a terrible, horrible problem that's RUINING this site that was just GOOD, CLEAN FUN before???? This site has an easy target and it's nasty toward her/them. Those are the two objectives. It's got a bunch of regular posters who take it all too seriously and a bunch of Anons who are mean as hell. To act like it hass ever or ever will be more than that is just sad.

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  23. tbh, modding comments is lame. What's next? Advice Box? No, wait...there should totally be a RBNS QOTD! But make sure to mod those responses too. You guys should get an intern!

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  24. 1:14, if RBNS wants to moderate comments i'm ok with that. mainly because i only comment every so often and i generally stay on topic. i don't think that makes them "as bad" as NS and comparing the two is silly to me. this isn't about deleting any and all criticisms of the site or topic at hand. this is about staying on topic and not bashing each other plain and simple.

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  25. @Jacy

    My inner a**hole love to come out and play here! Because, of course, in real life, I am retardedly.... well, I'm occasionally nice.

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  26. chescaleigh -- to give a very dramatic parallel, that's like saying "I'm not a Communist, so I don't object to the activities of the HUAC." Obviously the stakes aren't quite the same here. And my point is that we don't really know what it's about deleting. We've been given a vague criteria and really it's at the discretion of the mods. So once the precedent has been set that deleting "extreme" comments is ok, it's very easy to start saying "Well, I find this extreme. I find that extreme."

    I particularly feel uneasy about this because Jacy has clearly been angling for it for a while. In a couple different post s/he has mentioned that "we don't want to delete comments," which says to me that s/he did and was just waiting for the moment.

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  27. jacy,

    i certainly appreciate all you do for RBNS, but this is a bit of a slippery slope. i would leave the comments alone. i think the best solution is to bring in a few more RBNS contributors to increase the number of new postings.

    as you said yourself, the thread goes stale after 50 comments or so. the solution? keep posting new content so to keep the conversation in a particular thread from devolving...

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  28. 1:44, eh. i get what you're saying, but dramatic is the perfect description. it's just not that serious. i enjoy reading this site as a way to escape my monotonous work day and get a good laugh. the last thing i want to deal with is people bashing me or other commenters that i like. call me naive, but i trust RBNS to delete the inappropriate comments. and if not, i'll probably just stop commenting all together. my best suggestion would be for you to do the same if you're not happy with the policy.

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  29. Anon 1:49 PM, I totally agree. Maybe it's time to bring on a new contributor. Total Jing sounds like she or he's vying for the spot.

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  30. People confuse freedom of expression with let me come in your house and take a dump on your floor. Nobody likes to wade through a bunch of anonymous comments intended to distract and divide. Delete away, Jacy.

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  31. Anon1:54 I find that comment offensive/bashing TJ, and I would like Jacy to remove it.

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  32. It's probably hard for Jacy to come up with new posts since Our Lady of Sleepless Nights doesn't get out of bed until after noon. Here's her latest, just in case you were were wondering: (and she really, really hopes you were!)

    ----
    12:51 p.m.
    very, very, very under the weather today
    In case you’re wondering where I went.
    Meghan took care of me last night, but I still feel like dying this morning. And I *never* get sick.
    Okay, back to closing my eyes and wishing for this pounding migraine to go away.
    -----

    She also leaves this twitter and has apparently turned to imitating Russian Girl:

    Sick. Barf. Not feel well. :(
    about 1 hour ago from web


    -----

    Oh, Julia, we WERE wondering where you went! Your tens of readers were worried that you got hit in the face by a stray hockey puck after so chivalrously offering to attend a sporting event. Better go back to bed, close your eyes and rest your precious little head. But can we now conclude that Blueprint Cleanse not only causes you to gain ten pounds but also weakens your immune system as well?

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  33. hmm Jules did ever look at your own NS site..now that is Dying with capital D!

    Maybe she saw the 1938media.com Sara Lacy coverage in Israel?

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  34. Exactly how often does Julia think nonspecial people get drunk, get sick, and want boyfriends.

    Oh, I never ever never. Is it not normal to get sick maybe twice a year, have a couple glasses of wine a couple times a week, and long for a boyfriend late at night when you're single and have had a tough day?

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  35. Gwyneth, it is normal for people to get sick, drink wine or want a boyfriend. But Julia just does it BETTER and MORE SPECIAL and MORE INEFFABLY GRAND than anyone else because she HAS A LIFECAST! Why, just broadcasting your everyday mundane banalities automatically elevates you to a rarified sphere usually reserved for 15 year old girls. Why don't you try it? I'm high on life and pink frosted cupcakes just thinking about it! Sharing my every banal thought, errand and headache really nourishes my inner aspect.

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  36. So how drunk did Julia get last night?

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  37. Jacy. For real? Deleting posts? Is that not EXACTLY why so many of us are here. Pissed at the interns deleting posts over at NS?

    It is *SO* hypocritical.

    You are just proving that you become what you hate.

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  38. It seems once people got on Jacy yesterday about being obsessed with RBNS she wants to hit the delete button on anyone who thinks she as lame as JA...

    Coincidence?

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  39. Maybe Jacy IS Julia!!!!! OMGWORLDCRASHINGINONME

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  40. Be careful Party Pants. Jacy might delete that comment.

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  41. My comments are far too boring to ever be deleted.

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  42. Emma:
    The way I read it, Jacy is planning to "execute" flame wars between the commentors, not dissenting voices or people who have different opinions or questions.
    NS was nothing like that.
    Questions, criticisms, suggestions, everything got deleted unless it was on the stupid topic of the days. Yet, nowhere did they provide a forum for feedback on the site itself. And sure, there were haters, whatever, ignore them. Jacy doesn't say no one is allowed to have issue with RBNS even. Just that inter-commentor flame wars would be extinguished. That is so totally different.
    You may still disagree with the practice but to compare it in anyway to the censorship at NS betrays a real lack of understanding of both what happened there and what is being proposed here.

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  43. Jacy - good job woman! This is one of my favorite places to stop on the web. Keep up the good work.... you rock!

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  44. Just crossed the 50 mark, it is all going to go to shit now. Oh, and MR looks great in orange!

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  45. Holy Crap!! Jacy, you're so right. About the 50 mark, the deterioration starts!
    Cupcakes all around.
    Now, where's my cleanse?

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  46. Jesus people!

    Did the people blasting Jacy / RBNS actually read this post???

    Yes? No? Well read it (again if need be), as it is abundantly clear "censorship" is not the goal but rather putting an end to flame wars.

    This is not at all the same thing as what happened at NS.

    Think Television Without Pity rules, people! Except i think that discussing RBNS on RBNS is totally fine. That rule always annoyed me about TWoP but there it made sense.

    That said, obvi this is NOT being demanded. So as Frankie says, "relax."

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  47. From Twitter:
    "Throbbing migraine = vomit five times. Bad.
    about 1 hour ago from web"

    Am a bit surprised there is no series of photos of Ms. Julia Allison vomiting into a pink toilet, hair held back by headband.

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  48. Um, "vomit five times" is not so good. She needs to make sure she stays hydrated. I hope that Megs is still with her, she might need to go to the ER.

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  49. Huh? That doesn't make sense. You don't just "catch" migraines and wake up with them one morning - they're usually chronic.

    Also would like to point out ... Julia is no stranger to vomiting.

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  50. In between being wiped out from a headache and making trips to the bathroom to vomit, Julia bravely finds to time to post a vaguely lesbian Rolling Stone cover and say how hot it is. Where is her Pulitzer Prize, readers?

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  51. Headache? Vomiting? Looks like Julia Allison Baugher got raging drunk last night. Good for her. She should do it more often.

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  52. As someone who suffers from migraines, her symptoms sound about right. However, I am extremely surprised she is twittering during the migraine. That rings a bit false with me as usually you are so sick and in pain that you aren't really feeling like speaking, let alone twittering.

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  53. Jacy I have no issue with some moderation. But then I went to a strict all-girls high school so I like a good bit of order.
    Why on earth would you twitter about vomiting? I would be a shivering wreck after vomiting 5 times. But then, as this twitterer suggests:

    @mikedizon: @juliaallison some guys are into that
    about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck

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  54. 5:13 - Methinks "migraine" is code for "vicious hangover."

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  55. Did Jackles fall and hit her head at Rangers game because she is exhibiting symptoms of increased intercranial pressure? Or, she may just have a case of food poisoning.

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  56. guys, she is trying to be Blair!

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  57. I *never* get sick.
    I don't drink

    what's wrong with getting sick or drinking? Julia is very fun to deconstruct because she really is the epitome of media created feminity. There's something wrong and shameful about drinking or being sick - so therefore we deny it and suffer. She's so fucking weird.

    When you are sick, even if it's a hang over, you are genuinely entitled to sympathy. Instead she wants sympathy for other spoilt princess reasons and disavows illness.

    The priorities on this woman are breath taking.

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  58. So true Johnny Optional!

    What about how she prides herself on never taking medication - not even asprin - or never drinking caffeine or never sleeping with someone until the 11th date?

    What a weird, fucked up set of arbitrary standards.

    Readers, what other Julia Allison Arbitrary Standards(TM) have you detected?

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  59. SomeProblems and other Anons: You're just perpetuating the idea that it's ok HERE but not THERE. There's no different in kind, only in degree. And the degree is totally up to a few subjective people. So.

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  60. Sounds psychosomatic to me. She has behaved like a Grade A tool and this little ploy not only pulls sympathy from all her fan boys/girls, but nicely distracts from what a total shit she's been. I'd be sick to my stomach too if I was her.
    That, or simple hangover (which would be way too soon after the last one for a self-proclaimed "non-drinker to admit to so she's turning it into a major sickbed drama). Meanwhile, that "shhhhh, everything's ok" or whatever twitter she wrote in the middle of the night sounds like a total drunk dial.

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  61. Oh, btw, saying it will be like TWoP hardly recommends it. Those bitches are seriously crazily anal. That place is full of humorless bores.

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  62. Anon 5:55: There is TOTALLY a difference in kind ... Jacy is addressing flame wars between commentors, not "comments", not dissenting opinions on JA or RBNS or Jacy or anything BUT stupid flame wars between commentors who feel some need to spiral down into their own personal rivalries that have nothing to do with this site or its purpose at all.

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  63. TWOP boards are hard core. When I first began posting there I didn't understand why people were so uptight and anal. As time went on and I became a regular commenter I grew to see why TWOP had the rules that they had. I wish this blog was able to have the same rules. Specifically no talking about the boards on the boards, no posting under multiple names and no double posting. Not that there's really anything wrong with double posting or that it isn't really obvious which people post under multiple names over there. Over here too.

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  64. How is it not the exact same thing? You don't stay on topic? You get deleted.

    Lame.

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  65. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  66. I love the idea of certain comments being deleted. I read this blog during lunch or in between errands or whatever. I don't have the time to read through a thread of 150 comments where 50 of them are annoying trolls looking for attention or trying to stir up controversy because they have a grudge against RBNS or a certain commenter. If it makes reading easier and allows me to read more in those short bursts of time I'm for it.

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  67. I think it's all semantics at this point. Bottom line, Jacy Ann doesn't like: she deletes it.

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  68. "But we are going to start killing out comments every time they contort into shrieking skirmishes that have absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand."

    See, first Jacy would have to observe a *shrieking skirmish.* Since nothing on this site should insight a "shrieking skirmish," her bet is that the skirmish would be off topic. But topic is neither here nor there; the flamey component is central.

    Her post only concerns flame wars.

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  69. Oh TJ, your logic is always so flawless.

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  70. Don't you mean a "word from your host"?

    uh oh.

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  71. To clarify: Rip on me all you like, I don't give a flying fuck.

    Nor am I going to start deleting posts or comments critical of RBNS, me, Russian Girl, whatever.

    What we have decided to do is that when the threads degenerate into ridiculous sock puppet wars when people are in full battle about matters that have nothing to do with what's been posted or this blog, they will be deleted.

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  72. i hear you Jacy.

    i never heard anyone use "sock puppet" before RBNS. i get the general idea of what it means. but where in the hell did it come from?

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  73. Good question, Chescaleigh. Maybe Urban Dictionary would have a definition?

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  74. Yeah, to me Jacy's post and his subsequent comment at 7:11pm make sense and i have zero idea why anyone is crying foul.

    Honestly, if some kind of IQ test could be administered for internet commenting that would be ideal.

    No one is talking about that here. They are just saying don't act like fucking shower sacs in flaming others without any rationality on display.

    What the fuck is so hard about that.

    I am also getting tired of the anonys. If you like posting here so much, just make up an identity with blogger already. It will make reading and ignoring your comments so much easier.

    Yeah, i am a fucking bitch.

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  75. Oh dear, SomeProblems. Most people who could pass the IQ test would see why this is a stupid idea, I'm afraid.

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  76. My inner asshole has a really high IQ. My outer one? Not so much.

    J/K. And props to my favorite bitch, SomeProblems.

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  77. Heheh. Thanks TJ! I think your inner and outer assholes both have high IQs!

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  78. So what this boils down to is the fact that RBNS is no better than Julia. Aren't you doing the same thing you critixize Julia for every damn day -- branding your own image the way you want and shunning everyone who doesn't agree with you?

    Classy. Really.

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  79. Miss Matched, read the fucking post and wrap your tiny mind around what Jacy is saying. It's completely different than what you describe.

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  80. Oh, Jacy, it's okay for YOU to use obscenities? If comments get off topic, who cares? It's not like you guys have anything but hatred invested in this site. The only thing you're wasting by keeping this site up is your energy.

    I hear the "H" word coming on.

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  81. Yes, Allison, I can use profanities: Piss off.

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  82. Allison:

    Jacy didn't say that profinities are not allowed. She said FLAME wars aren't.


    Fuck shit fuck asshole cunt.

    (This is an experiment. I guarantee this post will not be deleted).

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  83. Miss Matched and Allison: If you hate RBNS so much, why don't you go and comment over at NonSociety???? Hmm??? What is stopping you??? Go, be free, comment there to your heart's content.

    Have fun!

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  84. No, I didn't say I hated this site. It's entertaining, especially with how hypocritical the "moderators" are.

    And thanks, Jing, for that clarification, but I'm talking about how she would comment on my use of profanity back a couple of months ago on the QOD forum.

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  85. You're dreaming, Allison. Firstly, where did we say we were going to kill out profane comments?

    And I rarely, if ever, commented on NS. And I love profanity. Cunt is one of my favorite words. I would have celebrated your use of profanity. So you're thinking of someone else. What a surprise; you got something mixed up ... again.

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  86. Seems everyone on RBNS has jumped on the Hypocrite Bandwagon lately -- why don't you go and take your own advice. If you hate JA so much, why spend so much time giving her the one thing you think she doesn't deserve: publicity. You're really just feeding into the madness.

    It's so sad when people spend a perfectly good life wasting it. It seems to be you devote way too much energy to something that appears to raise your blood pressure.

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  87. MissMatched: Hypocrisy? You must know all about it since you come on here regularly to comment because apparently this blog raises your blood pressure. Here's a tip: Stop coming here!

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  88. Yeah, mismatched, like Jacy and His girl Rambo says, Take it or Leave it.

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