Larry is one of the cornerstones of this community, and as such I think he's earned some leeway. If he chooses to answer an absurd post on the board where it was made rather than taking it to Flame, I think that's certainly reasonable.

As for your defense of Spartacus, he's the one who came storming in hurling insults left, right and center. Not the best way to win friends and influence people. He's just getting back a taste of what he's been trying to dish out.

Besides, if he is who he says he is, he'll have a thick enough hide to take it.

You've gotta admit, Lindy, so far most of what Sparty's offered has been pure ad hominin attack. I thought that's something we as a community have been trying to minimize.

As for welcoming opinions, I would absolutely welcome his opinions and insights, if offered in a reasonable and coherent fashion, but that's just not what he's been doing. That too, however, is contingent now upon him actually being who he says he is. I would have thought such experiences would tend to help instill a measure of maturity. Can't see it in his case.

Speaking of which, though...is a "badass" really what Canada wants to send on it's humanitarian peacekeeping efforts? Remember the Canadian peacekeeping mission to Somalia? Remember the teenage boy who tried to sneak into the Canadian camp to steal some food? It was his great misfortune to be captured by some badass Canadian peacekeepers, who prodeeded to torture the kid at length (pausing only long enough to snap some pics of themselves smiling over his bloodied, prone form) and them beat him to death. Yes, badass Canadian peacekeepers committing murder. They killed that kid for one reason and one reason only: because they could. How many similar episodes have gone unreported is something we may never know. It was one of the first times (and sadly not the last) that I felt ashamed to be a Canadian.

I love Canada, I really do...but Canadians have got to get over the ridiculous notion that they are Gawd's Gift to Humanity.

You and I both know Spartacus is welcome here if he wants to join this community. But to be taken seriously, he's got to realize that it's a discussion board, not a boxing ring.