Who's going to wear the black hat?

[Tom_G_l_a_s_g_o_w]

Please excuse ignorant post from almost lurker, rarely poster, but what happened to Bill Klapp (whose name I don’t recognize) and Alan Eden (whose posts I’ve replied to)?

Were they evicted? Did they leave in a huff? Sorry again for the ignorant question, but what happened?

Dan Kravitz

Alan died, Klapp came to his senses and stopped posting.

[Greg_K]

I simply do not understand the fairly common desire to have board trolls. The board is a better place when people are respecting each other instead of insulting one another. This is a persistent theme here, and I have never understood it. You can find assholes by the bushel-full everywhere you turn; why is it that people want to promote them here?

Completely agreed. If I wanted trolls, I’d post ina forum about sports.

[Dan_Kravitz]

to Tom Glasgow,

Thank you for your quick reply.

I mourn the death of Alan Eden. I never met him, disagreed with him most of the time, found him irritating but also stimulating. My condolences to his family and friends.

Dan Kravitz

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

D8FE6F43-67AA-472C-A721-850541323F34.jpeg

+1

(Where the eff is the face palm emoji…)

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

I have spent many an hour reading through old Bill Klapp threads and been entertained and enlightened in equal measure. I haven’t done the same for anyone else who has ever posted on this board. Just saying

And with respect to Neal, there used to be another poster here with a penchant for tossing out incendiary comments, particularly relating to whole cluster and Kutch wines. Every time he lit a fire, I rolled my eyes, but pretty quickly I realized that his threads provoked a lot of thoughtful arguments(and some less so) that would never have been posted if he wasn’t here. I learned more from the response to his trollish threads than I would like to admit.

I enjoyed Alan’s rants. His “Drinking wine in France sucks” thread was awesome to me. You could not pay me to drink Saxum. It’s gross, disgusting, unctuous, foul, alcoholic, purple Barney vomit(IMO). And I enjoyed that he felt the same about the wines I like, and had no issue with saying so. I am sorry to lose him and sorrier for his family, and if I had a glass of vile purple Barney vomit, I would toast him with it. Just this once.

[Robert.A.Jr]

I hate you with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns.

You also said that’s how much you loved him, though. At least your relationship is extremely passionate.

It’s a roller coaster. I hate roller coasters.

Pass me the black hat. I’m in.

Tin foil hat, too. With the helicopter blades.

[Craig_G]

FWIW, it’s difficult to imitate Klapp, his posts displayed a distinctive voice.

-Al

You may not know what this means, but the applicable term for Klapp’s argumentative tone is “condescending”.

[Jim_Stewart]

Already have my hat . . ."If I only had a -----. "

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

Like I said, there are some who miss him, and it is a total mystery to me.

+1.

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

There is, by the way, a huge difference between, for example:

“The wine made in the Loire Valley is weak insipid swill that tastes like free run juice from the overflow of the local outhouse”

and

“You, Counselor Alfert, are a complete and utter tasteless moron asshole who has the palate of a yak because the only swill you ever drink is that free run outhouse stuff from the Loire Valley.”

Unfortunately, there are too many people who do not know the difference.

[Robert.A.Jr]

There is, by the way, a huge difference between, for example:

“The wine made in the Loire Valley is weak insipid swill that tastes like free run juice from the overflow of the local outhouse”

and

“You, Counselor Alfert, are a complete and utter tasteless moron *sshole who has the palate of a yak because the only swill you ever drink is that free run outhouse stuff from the Loire Valley.”

Unfortunately, there are too many people who do not know the difference.

Wait. You’ve said the latter!

[Yao_C]

There is, by the way, a huge difference between, for example… Unfortunately, there are too many people who do not know the difference.

It’s not knowledge but a willingness to take the bad with the good

[Scott_G_r_u_n_e_r]

I simply do not understand the fairly common desire to have board trolls. The board is a better place when people are respecting each other instead of insulting one another. This is a persistent theme here, and I have never understood it. You can find assholes by the bushel-full everywhere you turn; why is it that people want to promote them here?

The force requires balance. For there to be light there must be darkness. To truly appreciate joy you must endure sorrow.

Plus groupthink is remarkably boring.

[YLee]

I simply do not understand the fairly common desire to have board trolls. The board is a better place when people are respecting each other instead of insulting one another. This is a persistent theme here, and I have never understood it. You can find assholes by the bushel-full everywhere you turn; why is it that people want to promote them here?

The force requires balance. For there to be light there must be darkness. To truly appreciate joy you must endure sorrow.

Plus groupthink is remarkably boring.

Agreed but you can still be respectable about different perspectives. We should not set our standards to be similar to other forums where you have little kids having internet fights.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

[Neal.Mollen]

I simply do not understand the fairly common desire to have board trolls. The board is a better place when people are respecting each other instead of insulting one another. This is a persistent theme here, and I have never understood it. You can find assholes by the bushel-full everywhere you turn; why is it that people want to promote them here?

The force requires balance. For there to be light there must be darkness. To truly appreciate joy you must endure sorrow.

Plus groupthink is remarkably boring.

Your last statement is correct but entirely irrelevant. No one is urging groupthink.

The time I spend here is free time – leisure time. I don’t want to spend it with people who cannot behave like adults.

EDIT: What Robert said

[YLee]

I simply do not understand the fairly common desire to have board trolls. The board is a better place when people are respecting each other instead of insulting one another. This is a persistent theme here, and I have never understood it. You can find assholes by the bushel-full everywhere you turn; why is it that people want to promote them here?

The force requires balance. For there to be light there must be darkness. To truly appreciate joy you must endure sorrow.

Plus groupthink is remarkably boring.

Your last statement is correct but entirely irrelevant. No one is urging groupthink.

The time I spend here is free time – leisure time. I don’t want to spend it with people who cannot behave like adults.

EDIT: What Robert said

Agreed. I dont need people who are supposed to be grown people and professionals acting like their teenage children.

[Markus_S]

… These days he spends his time between Burgundy and Piedmont…

How does one spend time between places? Does he commute, or live in-between?

Klapp was knowledgeable, but always let you know he knew more than you, and was rich enough to retire in Piedmont and who could count on knowing all the winemakers there as his personal friends.

[R_M_Kriete]

Has anyone ever seen Klapp and Trump at the same time?

[GregT]

… These days he spends his time between Burgundy and Piedmont…

How does one spend time between places? Does he commute, or live in-between?

Klapp was knowledgeable, but always let you know he knew more than you, and was rich enough to retire in Piedmont and who could count on knowing all the winemakers there as his personal friends.

A few months here, a few months there. Can expound on the tax laws and the respective mushrooms too.

[Jonathan_Loesberg]

One of the few things Antonin Scalia said that I agreed with is “I attack ideas, I don’t attack people.” He may not have always lived up to that, but it’s not a bad ideal. It also elucidates the difference between a vigorous exchange of ideas and a boorish, insulting, condescending remark. I understand that some people liked Klapp and/or found him amusing. But that doesn’t change the tone of his posts or makes it necessary for exchanging different views.