Olivia's Steakhouse

I'm only gonna express my relief because I don't want you, Dave, to feel guilty. We all have snapping points and you resisted for a long time. I'm way beyond sick of Robert, and I never even engaged with him.

I don't think Dave or Robert should be reprimanded. This is a forum that encourages opinions. Although I don't agree with Roberts stance on chains, I appreciate his conviction. I personally believe the chains are poluting our restaurant community. I believe that the chains will see a backlash during the economic down turn.
As for Dave, He is right and was simply fed up. He was given an unfair shake by Robert in the past and decided to express his opinion. Dave invited the PM and Robert should have responded accordingly. IMO
Give them a break guys. If you don't want to read the rant, skip it.

Dave - You're the best! You know my opinion.
Robert I don't know you but you are entitled to your opinion.

Jackie - I miss you at Seviche!

Sounded like a completely vicious rant to me, where the heck did all that bile come from? Thought you where comfortably housed in an establishment where you are just working wonders, so what's with the nastiness?

Jackie - I miss you at Seviche!

Warmed beyond expression to hear, Kurt. I really like my new job, but that is so sweet to hear.

And as far as your opinions - always so fair and compassionate. Thank you for the balanced insight.

hi nora,
you may have missed several previous collisions between robert s. and david c.
which may shed light on david's "completely vicious rant"

Carly Rae's rocks and David's passion for food is immense

i hope all of the forumites are broad minded enough to not be influenced by opinionated bickering that doesn't impact the quality of one's dining experience

for me, i love for my chefs (those that control the kitchen) to be full of passion - now this can expressed in a multitude of ways, some are pleasant and some are not - but what matters is that they CARE about what they're serving- if they're the angry yelling chef - thats great> if they're the bubbly round chef laughing and smiling, great> if they're the soup nazi, no soup for you !, even better
these are the guys and gals i want cooking for me - they put the soul in soul food and they put their soul in our food

David Clancy adds a lot to this board. An insider perspective of a true professional who has put his own money on the
line and given blood, sweat and tears to the restaurant business over many years and his sense of humor is most welcome here.
(And I also appreciate the many regular posters who have risked and sacrificed to serve us and still have a great sense of humor, knowledge, and wisdom! I learn a lot and this forum is by far one of the best anywhere.)

What happened recently was sort of like wrestling with the proverbial pig (troll) and getting dirty. But remember the pig (troll)always enjoys getting dirty. (Or bringing anyone down to the dirty and juvenile level of communication.)

Disclaimer : I completely understand as I have sent our host several private messages about trolling and how it distracts from the vast majority of informed and intelligent posters on this board.
And I hope the people looking on and the regular posters are not turned off or inflammed by this unusual (for me) post.

I also think Robin has been more than fair in dealing diplomatically with robert and giving him multiple chances.

robert banned himself again for a second time and not because of his opinions.
It was for his continued lack of civility to the many frequent and valued posters on this board over several years and especially to our host.

Robin has given robert much more than a fair chance to observe what is politely requested of everyone here:
"Welcome to the interactive Louisville Restaurants Forum, a civil place for the intelligent discussion of the local restaurant scene and just about any other topic related to food and drink in and around Louisville."

robert continually ignored host and user requests to stop posting gibberish, juvenile and inflammatory one liners, and always wanting to have the last same old words. He was given countless polite (and sometimes the necessary blunt) requests to behave and discuss topics like an adult, blatantly ignored those requests and yet continued to give regular posters the childish finger.
Again, this is a behavior issue that is unrelated to his opinions.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions and civil disagreements.
That's fine and encouraged on these free forums by our host.
(Who pays to maintain this informative site for all of us.)

The verifiable facts and very long records are what matter in this regard.

There is also no joy here by losing a poster but neither is there a "victim": robert banned himself again by his behavior.

Thanks, Hank. That pretty much says it all.

Frankly to someone like me on the "outside", it appears that rude behavior comes from more than one source. It also seems that one's viewpoint has alot to do with how much is tolererated.

Passion is no excuse for rudeness.

I'll speak for myself, and myself alone.

Freedom of speech and expression is vital. At the same time, trolls are the ones who yell "fire" in a crowded theater, and in the case of our perhaps ex-resident troll, the "fire" scream is a shot across the bow aimed squarely between the eyes of the passionate and the principled, who in this case -- his pleas of appreciating local and chain alike to the contrary -- are people like Clancy, and me, and others in the (shall we say) local and independent sector.

Exaltations of chain-think constitutes spitting in my general direction, and there will be times when I am rude in response. Several habitues of this forum have already commented that they find my attitude objectionable, and while I regret this, I have no choice but to accept it. We win some, and we lose some, but the constant is that we are crazed from the get-go because you can't be entirely sane and devote your life to bucking the conformity that society is taught to accept every minute of the day.

Paranoid? Nope. Recall that the Busch family's marketing strategy never had squat to do with beer quality. Instead, it mandated that every man, woman and child in the US see or hear the word Budweiser at least ten times a day. That's not love. It's fascism, and it's no coincidence that our t-shirts show brewing vessels and read, "These machines kill fascists." To me, they actually do. Drink local beer and reject the industrial beers, and it's a blow against fascism.

I'm passionate, and I have principles to back that up. Sometimes it makes me feisty, and rude, and other things that aren't exactly genteel, but it works out that way precisely because I believe strongly in what I do and don't intend to accept the world as it has been touted to me.

A job is a job. I like crusades, adventures, and to live what I do. Sorry for the rant, but no apologies for the passion. Without it, we're mere commissary workers and swill merchants.

I've been waiting to say something to see how things would shake out. I don't see what the big deal is. I *DO* read a lot more than I post. I've seen both sides, and none of it really effects me. I can't believe that someone is being banned because he basically has an opinion that he continually harps on. Let him be the champion of the chains. Granted it isn't my sandbox, I just like to visit and borrow the toys.

I will say Robert, I do think that you push, just for the sake of pushing. Everyone has buttons, and not everyone needs their's pushed.

-Scott Hack

P.S. -- Steak temp disclaimer - Due to a heart condition, the Doctors advised I eat my steaks well done. I'd much rather have a cheeseburger though.

[Robin Garr]

I will say Robert, I do think that you push, just for the sake of pushing. Everyone has buttons, and not everyone needs their's pushed.

This will be my only comment in this thread: You hit the nail on the head, Scott. Robert is gone again not because of any one specific incident but because he repeatedly, consistently and deliberately pushed buttons in many, many threads, and he refused to modify this behavior despite many civil requests both in public and in private. He was previously banned permanently, but I let him come back upon his request when his wife was very ill. That return, like a parole, was based upon my adminition that he not continue the kind of trollish behavior that had caused so many problems in the past. This promise was not kept.

The bottom line is that this place is like a virtual pub on the Information Highway, and I'm the publican. (Hi, Roger.) I'll let just about anything go - you all know that the policy here is laissez-faire - but at some point, if a patron behaves to badly that he is starting to run the regulars away, it's time to put up the "86."

The situation here was causing good people to leave the forum, and this required me to make a decision. End of story and, I hope, end of debate.