Ratten on notice

[40yearBLUE]

Wow.....generally, I like your posts. You are one of the few on here who have something sensible to say. However, this is rubbish. You can have your little definitions for many things, and I suspect you do. However, i know exactly what status I am getting for purchasing my annual CFC membership - that of a financial member. Now, under the quite unique model of the AFL clubs, which operate as limited public organisations - that is, owned by the members - this gives us particular rights (and obligations), most importantly to elect a representative board in a democratic (constitutionally) election. Other than that, and the knowledge that I am contributing what I feel is appropriate towards this great club, it gives me no other self-proclaimed title or status. A much as we all love this club, there are other worthwhile causes on this planet which may also be worth the consideration of your resources. Now, I don't doubt that the CFC is not the only organisation that you make a financial contribution to, but I do doubt that it is the most important. Someone who loves the club, goes to the games they can, hurts when they lose and feels elation at their wins is no lesser or more than you because they feel that refuges living in a squaller in some 3rd world country is a greater priority for their limited resources than financial support for a relatively rich sporting club.

Go you make some very good points such that deserves a considered reply. I dont in any way other than a definitional difference, discriminate in anyway between supporters and barrackers. I dont attribute to either any greater or lesser feeling of passion for the club. I do however note that the club prints on the membership card the years of continuous and unbroken support that each member has shown. Havent you ever wondered why they do this. I have enunciated my interpretation of why they do so. You dont have to agree but thats my take.

As you point out, I do contribute to many many causes, I wont be going into any of them here, they are not a pissing competition. I mention them only to point out that they are irrelevant to my attitude on this particular matter. Of course if you chose to give every penny you have to other more worthy humane causes and could not then buy a membership all power to you, perhaps the world would be a better place if all 40,296 members did what you suggest would be a more just outcome. Do you think it would be better if we had zero members and all did just that? There are arguments for and against.

However getting back to the point of this debate, someone posted that only members can say we, I did not endorse that, supporters and barrackers alike can say we, although I dont recall a time when I was a barracker, I was after all 8 and 9, I have been a member since 10. My views are shaped by that longevity of support. That is what we are debating here. My view is that there is a small status reserved for members. It is purely spiritual, it confers on us no extra rights or privilege and nor should it. There are of course some technical benefits such as priority finals ticketing etc, but to me that is not the reason I maintain my membership. Some years I know full well I will not get to any games yet I continue with my membership because IT IS the most important membership in my life. My wife is rightly proud that she too is a member and in fact the club made a mistake on her card this year, and printed member since 2010 on it. She sent it back for them to correct which they did, she did that off her own bat she feels that way and is also rightly proud that she has been a continuous member through our darkest chapter.

Our longevity as members is important to us, and the club. We know it is important to the club because they acknowledge it to us via the dates on the card and the longevity pins they gift us. We love them. My wife has a 5 year pin and gets to 10 at the same time I get to 40. Now you can think what you like about my point of view, it is borne in a deep pride and love of the club. You can attribute what ever meaning you like to support. I have a different view. It wont ever change.

I do however respect the way you have argued your points.

 

[Go_Blues!]

30YOB, I am not too interested in arguing this point with you, but I do think at this point that it probably is appropriate to acknowledge that almost 40 years of continuous financial support for the club is an incredible effort and one that you should be proud of. Good work mate and I hope you have 40 more!!

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

30YBlue is mentally inept!

Take my hat off to the biggest load of crap espoused on these forums in a long time!

Tool of the week anyone?

 

[sherb]

No you need to read what I actually said rather than make up your own version. I said people chose their own priorities, and rightly so but that if they choose not to buy a membership thats fine by me, they just cannot claim to be current supporters of the club under my definitions. My definitions are mine, I am entitled to them. Nothing more nothing less. To read anything else in is to make stuff up for yourself which you are perfectly entitled to do too. And I dont much care if you do. Its a free world.

All the other stuff you wrote I have also acknowledged in previous posts in this thread, you either chose (theres that word again) not to acknowledge them or genuinely dont understand my version of English. I dont, let me type that slowly for you, D O N T think any less of anyone whether members or not. I dont much care or ask if someone is a member, I dont even sit in my members seat at games when I used to have a reserved seat (I dont anymore because I live interstate) I sat in GA. All of this debate is about what I believe, I have never once said it is what anyone else should believe but you wont ever convince me that a barracker and a supporter are the same thing, not at least until the club start posting out supporter packs to just anyone.

And in case you missed it, my 30 year pin and the words "Member since 1972" are 2 of my most prized possessions. I am not a materialistic person but I do love my symbols of my support of the club. Thats why I chose the user name I did and the avatar I have. Barrackers just dont get that. The club doesnt acknowledge 30 year barrackers.

Well, I don't define people by financial contributions. I am not that narrow minded and thankfully so. And I am happy to regard fellow Carlton supporters as just that, irrespective of whether they are members or not.

I have followed the club for as long as you, probably longer. And simply following the club is far more meaningful to me than getting self-gratification over a user name or a pin any day of the week.

As I said before, you need a serious trip into the real world. I am extremely grateful that encountering such intellectual snobbery from Blues supporters is an extremely rare occurrence on my part.

 

[sherb]

I've bought a membership since 2004. I couldn't afford it this year between you know, living and constant uni expenditures.

Can't you go without some of life's other luxuries to allow you to buy a membership? You know, things like food, accommodation, electricity, etc?

I mean, a Blues membership is affordable to anyone in any living situation, didn't you know?

 

[krayfesh]

Can't you go without some of life's other luxuries to allow you to buy a membership? You know, things like food, accommodation, electricity, etc?

I mean, a Blues membership is affordable to anyone in any living situation, didn't you know?

I don't know, I wouldn't have bought Pokemon Silver. Can you really call that living?

And now we hit 'em with a little ghetto gospel.

[youtube]IxR4AweLeXE[/youtube]

 

[40yearBLUE]

Oh good, you're all still here.......................................................................................

Enough about you lets talk about me .......................................................................

And back on thread topic...........................................................................................

Anyway I am out for my usual morning 8k walk this morning and I come to a pedestrian crossing and a little school boy is tapping on the button, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.......no change in the lgihts, tappping hasnt stopped, tap, tap, tap, so I remove an earphone (what was I listnening to I hear you aks?.... REM this morning but my current favorite band is Hill Top Hoods and all time favorite Pink Floyd, I like riding horses on the beach and........oopps wrong site just kidding very happily married) anyway I look down to him, smile and say "It doesnt make it change any faster, I know it feels like it does but it doesnt" He looks back and says "I know, I just like pushing the button" and all I could think was thats gold.

"I just like pushing the buttons" a perfect metaphor for life and the morons here on BF. A world where impatience impedes progress (as ironic as that seems) where slogans trump content ("Stop the Waste, stop the tax, stop the boats anyone?), where emotions trump logic and where morons are made to feel welcome and encouraged to push other posters buttons with assertions they either dont understand, dont believe themselves or for no other reason than they like pushing buttons.

That kid is the Rattsacker of tomorrow. Tap, tap, tap, change already, tap, tap, tap, sack the coach, tap, tap, tap why haven't we started winning, tap, tap, tap, change darn you, tap, tap, tap, tap, time to sack the coach, tap, tap, tap, why arent we top 4 in only 2 seasons after finishing 15th or 16th for the 3rd or 4th season in a row , tap, tap, tap, tap...........They breed it in now. That kid taps away thinking that despite knowing it wont, that it might make some small difference, despite knowing that his anecdotal evidence of once tapping and the lights seeming to change really fast, it does not stand up to scientific scrutiny, much like the sack the coach sheep here.

And heres the kicker, although tapping the button incessantly does not make it change any faster, it does not make it change slower either. But sacking the coach would put us back at least 2-3 years in our quest for 17. The impatient ones that dont understand this need to get a clue, the morons that dont understand anything and just like to see the shitfight erupt need to get a life and we all need to learn to be patient. We are adopting the Geelong method to AFL success not the Richmond method.

Now back to more talk about the spiritual value of club membership..........









































tap, tap, tap

 

[krayfesh]

So you didn't listen to Ghetto Gospel?

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

Oh good, you're all still here.......................................................................................

Enough about you lets talk about me .......................................................................

And back on thread topic...........................................................................................

Anyway I am out for my usual morning 8k walk this morning and I come to a pedestrian crossing and a little school boy is tapping on the button, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.......no change in the lgihts, tappping hasnt stopped, tap, tap, tap, so I remove an earphone (what was I listnening to I hear you aks?.... REM this morning but my current favorite band is Hill Top Hoods and all time favorite Pink Floyd, I like riding horses on the beach and........oopps wrong site just kidding very happily married) anyway I look down to him, smile and say "It doesnt make it change any faster, I know it feels like it does but it doesnt" He looks back and says "I know, I just like pushing the button" and all I could think was thats gold.

"I just like pushing the buttons" a perfect metaphor for life and the morons here on BF. A world where impatience impedes progress (as ironic as that seems) where slogans trump content ("Stop the Waste, stop the tax, stop the boats anyone?), where emotions trump logic and where morons are made to feel welcome and encouraged to push other posters buttons with assertions they either dont understand, dont believe themselves or for no other reason than they like pushing buttons.

That kid is the Rattsacker of tomorrow. Tap, tap, tap, change already, tap, tap, tap, sack the coach, tap, tap, tap why haven't we started winning, tap, tap, tap, change darn you, tap, tap, tap, tap, time to sack the coach, tap, tap, tap, why arent we top 4 in only 2 seasons after finishing 15th or 16th for the 3rd or 4th season in a row , tap, tap, tap, tap...........They breed it in now. That kid taps away thinking that despite knowing it wont, that it might make some small difference, despite knowing that his anecdotal evidence of once tapping and the lights seeming to change really fast, it does not stand up to scientific scrutiny, much like the sack the coach sheep here.

And heres the kicker, although tapping the button incessantly does not make it change any faster, it does not make it change slower either. But sacking the coach would put us back at least 2-3 years in our quest for 17. The impatient ones that dont understand this need to get a clue, the morons that dont understand anything and just like to see the shitfight erupt need to get a life and we all need to learn to be patient. We are adopting the Geelong method to AFL success not the Richmond method.

Now back to more talk about the spiritual value of club membership..........

tap, tap, tap

Wow, you sink to your lowest and then you come out with a great post like this 30YBlue. That's a great post. Keep up good pieces like this!

 

[Salaryman]

Actually 30YB, you made a simple attribution error and the 6yo put you in your place

 

[40yearBLUE]

That's all fine, but with or without Syd Barrett?

p.s I couldn't take you seriously after you told us you smiled and the "aks" just nailed that for me.

You know I saw that typo and was gonna correct it but I though nah bugger it, the plebs will better understand. My stepson is in his last year of high school (at an expensive college, last year wooohooo $10k a year more for us) and he says arks and I cant help pulling him up on it, it really grates on me, it's a 3 letter word ffs. I tell him if he cant get a 3 letter word right what chance has he got, I also tell him that whilst I dont give a flyer what people think of me, he might and if he does, educated people will think he isnt if he keeps saying it that way, but hey thats just my "snobbery" showing through again.

And that story is absolutely true, thats exactly how it played out. The only grey area is if I walk 6km or 8km I have never actually measured it, but I walk for just over an hour and at a fairly brisk pace. I have been told that normal walking pace is 5 - 6 kph and I definitely walk faster than normal pace.

And post Syd, post Dark Side, although Dark Side was very good, in fact my favorite albums are The Final Cut and Division Bell. I also like what Roger Waters has done, especially Amused to Death and dont much like Dave Gilmore solo so Floyd was definitely Waters for mine although having said that I think Division Bell was post Waters leaving..... so go figue.

 

[40yearBLUE]

Actually 30YB, you made a simple attribution error and the 6yo put you in your place

Not sure what that means but he was about 10 and quite intimidating

 

[BlueTongue]

30YBlue is mentally inept!

Take my hat off to the biggest load of crap espoused on these forums in a long time!

Tool of the week anyone?

FFS you idiot I'm still laughing my ass off. Your timing is impeccable. Straight after the 40year achievement as well...

 

[40yearBLUE]

FFS you idiot I'm still laughing my ass off. Your timing is impeccable. Straight after the 40year achievement as well...

No one takes much notice of him these days. Except on the Talia board.

 

[Sin City]

There was a bloke pressing the button at the lights while I was going for a run this arvo, I just got on with it and kept on running

 

[BlueGibbs2011]

Our longevity as members is important to us, and the club. We know it is important to the club because they acknowledge it to us via the dates on the card and the longevity pins they gift us. We love them. My wife has a 5 year pin and gets to 10 at the same time I get to 40.

Will be a great day when you get to update your bigfooty user name to 40yearBLUE .

But dont build up the club too much...they are still a business first and foremost. My grandfather chalked up 40 years as a member (on and off), and despite being incapacitated, they would still try and guilt him into buying a membership past the age of 85 and not wanting to renew. Despite calls from us to stop trying to sell him a membership, and he initially trying to say no, they continued to call/cajole him each year.

Irresponsible and just plain poor form!

I'm sure as you float into senility the club will continue to try and milk your money for all they can

PS
Despite his 40 years, on your reckoning he is still a lowly barracker

 

[40yearBLUE]

Will be a great day when you get to update your bigfooty user name to 40yearBLUE .

But dont build up the club too much...they are still a business first and foremost. My grandfather chalked up 40 years as a member (on and off), and despite being incapacitated, they would still try and guilt him into buying a membership past the age of 85 and not wanting to renew. Despite calls from us to stop trying to sell him a membership, and he initially trying to say no, they continued to call/cajole him each year.

Irresponsible and just plain poor form!

I'm sure as you float into senility the club will continue to try and milk your money for all they can

PS
Despite his 40 years, on your reckoning he is still a lowly barracker

Actually you (finally) make a salient point. I believe that after 25 years a member ought to be offered honorary Life Membership. We dont honor our members enough. People often say the club is all about the team but it isnt, it is more than just the playing team, a club IS its members.

I think 25 is fair but others may think not long enough, perhaps 50 because I am sure there are literally thousands who like me started as kids and maintained their membership every year, after all as I have previously argued it is not a great impost, some years I have been a silver distance member (as I am now) for less than $100 (but for most of them I was a full gold member), but if others think longer is more appropriate then the debate would not be the idea but the eligibility. And I guess I was only 35 when I hit 25 years membership so I guess the club might have thousands of life members with another 35 years of active membership they have to look after so on rethinking, perhaps at 50 years continuous membership a member ought to be honored on the honor board as a life member.

Thats my take on it.

 

[Blue Bawls]

That's all fine, but with or without Syd Barrett?

p.s I couldn't take you seriously after you told us you smiled and the "aks" just nailed that for me.

Some of the RattSackers here make Syd Barrett (and Keith Moon for that matter) look librarian-balanced imo...

 

[40yearBLUE]

Some of the RattSackers here make Syd Barrett (and Keith Moon for that matter) look librarian-balanced imo...

My wife insists on credit for the Rattsackers tag BTW.

 

[blue gunslinger]

That's funny, TG took a jog this afternoon and experienced the same thing.

Last reports were the button presser is now off life support

bull$hit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Salaryman]

I empathise with the button presser. You'se are all attributing him with a flawed mental model, whereas he's merely tactilely deprived

 

[Blue Bawls]

My wife insists on credit for the Rattsackers tag BTW.

Then she is a true wordsmith!

 

[Blue Bawls]

Just wait until our coach introduces our new Irishman for his first game next year, at the pre game luncheon

Yes, Ratt a Tuohy

Oh dear...

 

[BlueYoss]

I empathise with the button presser. You'se are all attributing him with a flawed mental model, whereas he's merely tactilely deprived

Speaking from personal experience then?

 

[Salaryman]

Speaking from personal experience then?

My tactiles are fine