On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 23:33:06 -0500, Luke Howett Fitzhugh
wrote:

On Sat, 10 Mar 2007 23:07:27 -0500, mm
wrote:

So who's the one with the attitude?

You?

I'm a neutral observer.

Except that I've been in your shoes, where I don't like the advice.

There can be two competing forces, a) the desire and the worthy goal
to keep the record straight by giving the disadvantages of the advice
one doesn't like, and b) the worthy goal of replying nicely to someone
who went to the trouble to gave advice in reply to one's request.

If there is no way meet a and b at the same time, one should settle
for b, and just say "Thank you".

Instead you gave short shrift to b, and you seem to add c, a
gratuitous insult: "That is one of those snappy sayings that I never
believed. If anyone believes that statement, then I have a $200
Thousand Ford Escort to sell you." You say you don't believe him,
and that anyone who does is a fool, and that clearly means that the
person who gave the advice is a fool or a liar or stupid or mentally
ill. The least bad of these is that he's a fool.

I can understand not wanting to retract or anything, but I can't
understand complaining about his mild reply:

"No problem; buy the "Acme Deluxe Toilet" and plunge it three times a
week.

Sorry I wasted my time trying to help...."

He feels he wasted his time, and he's keeping the record straight,
sort of like you kept the record straight that you thought his idea
wouldn't work. But he doesn't insult you.


Harry F hasn't posted much afaik and I don't know why he writes what
he does.