Offending People.

I can be sarcastic, profane, offensive, and abrasive. As far as charm goes, that's all I have going for me.
 
Last week I offended Joey Bacala with a comment about Katrina and the Gulf Coast in this blog. It wasn't intentional or directed in any way towards him or anyone he knows, but he had every reason to take offense. With every word I publish online, my chances of offending you increase exponentially. Give me time, because I type very slowly.
  
I was somewhat surprised when blog traffic tripled after the offending post was published. I hadn't made any attempt to publicize the blog recently. Curious, I Googled my blog's URL and found a short post and responses on the Biloxi Reddit, posted by "ButtPlugsWasTaken" (I'm assuming it's an alias). While their responses weren't as articulate or well-reasoned as Joey's, I imagine the gist of the message was much the same. I'm a fucktard.
  
I'd always heard that Reddit was a haven for thoughtful debate and discourse, so I signed up and responded to the post to provide the readers a venue to address me more directly if they so choose. I'm sure somebody will win the Pulitzer for distinguished commentary from this venture. I'm also bored, which can be a dangerous state for a confrontational, aggressive-aggressive person like me. Let's see where this takes us, shall we?
  
Will I make any more comments like the one that started all of this? Probably not. It's not reflective of my current state of mind. There's a bunch of people down here I like, even if I don't particularly care for where they live. Those people have made what could have been another extremely stressful and depressing time much more bearable. I've discovered communities in the surrounding area that, while not my cup of tea, have actual depth to them. I'm not going to move the whole family to the Gulf Coast because of them, but I can appreciate how they differ (in my mind) from Biloxi/Gulfport. Had I met these people on my previous trips, my opinion might have been very different.
  
Opinions vary. Different people are drawn to different places. As my great-grandfather told all of his kids, "it's a big country. You don't have to live right next to each other." There's someplace for everyone if you look hard enough. While you're looking, you'll also discover the places that aren't for you. It's not always an easy process, but eventually you'll get there.
 
When you do, let me know so I can make offensive comments about it.
  
... and Joey, if you want, when I get back we'll hash it out over a beer and you can tell me exactly what you think of me and my stupid-ass opinions.

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