« with cheese | Main | Forget AvP »

Laptop Scandal!

I really did myself a disservice by not taking my mother's old advice and counting to ten before I unload my fury on someone. Vinny has since removed the offending post. I don't know why, nor do I suspect I will hear from him as to why he took it down. Nor do I care. (Update: looks like Vin is also closing up his blog today. Awww.) I've taken down the parts of this post where I quote what Vinny had to say. However, I'm leaving up the parts below because they still stand. And we'll leave it at that. If you got here late and don't know what the hell I'm talking about, don't worry. It was just me battling it out with someone very insignificant.
I knew as soon as I decided not to go to the convention that I was going to owe some people both apologies and money. If Vinny thinks this was some kind of scam on my part, well, he doesn't know me as well as he thinks he does. Late last night I sent out a few emails to those who donated specifically to the laptop fund (most people who donated included messages about buying myself a beer or a DVD or going out to dinner with the money - only about 5% of the donations I've received in the past year were convention related). If you are one of those people who put money in my PayPal account with the intent of that money going towards my convention blogging and you haven't heard from me yet, please email me and not only will I gladly refund your donation, but I'll send a matching amount to your favorite charity. Thank you for all your support.

Comments

Don't worry about the petty and the jealous. It sounds like you already know what is right, and am doing just that. (And that INCLUDES staying home from the convention)

Right now, your first job is being a mom. There will be plenty of time to do all sorts of other things. But you never get your children back at the ages when they are still willing to do things with you.

Have fun and you deserve the peace of your decision.

I think you've dealt with Vinnie in the way he deserves.

I'd think that the old friend gave the laptop as a gift in general, and what kind of a gift would it be with strings attached (such as - by accepting this laptop you MUST go to the convention, bwahahahahah). More likely the friend just saw an opportunity to do a good turn for a blogger they enjoy reading immensly, and expects nothing except continued free ice cream, and maybe some karmic points in the bigger picture of things.

Maybe Vinny has friends that regularly screw him over, but, I don't think, Michele, that you'd consider folks that would do such a thing as actual friends, because that doesn't sound to me anyway like something a friend would do.

Vinny is sad, and his sad, bitter, pissy comment gets the little finger. Only the little finger, cause it doesn't even rate being worth the full up middle finger.

Vinnie starts out being absolutely right. Too bad that ends right after the title of his blog.

I don't contribute as much or as often as I should, but when I do put some pennies in the jar, it's an expression of appreciation for what you put into this.

After that, I don't care if you buy bandwidth or crack with it.

Well, ok, don't buy crack.

Maybe some cheese...

I'd say Vinnie seems more to have with issues that we are supportive of your decision (family DOES come first!) than with laptopgate.

His heart must be five sizes too small.

Hey, I for one would have loved to see you shine at the RNC as a Wxxxette antidote, but perhaps it is the fact that you'd give that up to spend time with your family that makes you the anti-Wxxxette.

But I also spent over 10 hours a day holed up in a newsroom working with student bloggers throughout the convention. It was a tiring experience, and kept me away from home probably too much.

anyway, Vinny must be one of those folks who don't understand the phrase "real life intervenes." Have fun!

Kinda makes ya wonder ... link whore? He had to know there would be a response, and the hit meter spins. Maybe de-linking and just quoting would be appropriate. We can Google if we want to see the source.

We did NOT get punkd.

However, we may have gotten hornswaggled. And you know what? I like being hornswaggled.

Michele, you can hornswaggle me any time.

I don't know why your dignifying this with a response. Your just giving the guy his fifteen minutes and throwing traffic (for a day at least) at an otherwise insignifcant weblog.

Oh yeah, Vinnie, despite your idiocy there are those of us who vocally disagree with M. and cannot, in your most vivid dreams, be considered fanboys or sheeple but who have a problem with unfounded attacks on other peoples integrity.

The responses you left at Vinnie's site was less than classy. I'd figure that someone with your exceptional writing skills would not have to resort to using an ad hom on the first line of your retort.

You have a popular blog. With popularity comes the detractors. Other bloggers have said worse things about you and will say bad things about you in the future.

That's the price of popularity. It's going to happen again. Get used to it.

'sides, those of use who read your blog regularly already know you are a person of integrity.

Don't flatter yourself. I have about as much interest in getting hits right now as I do about John Kerry's time in Vietnam.

I could give two shits if my site is closed down tomorrow.

As for hit-whoring, the last place I'd hit-whore would be here.

"I could give two shits if my site closed down tomorrow."

Neither would anyone else.

Now stop pouting and be a man.

He's closed down the site, removed the post in question. I did notice a very disturbing post a bit down the page...

What I’m trying to say is that IT is in limbo right now. It may come back to what it was, it may not. It may take a turn similar to what Michele did for almost 4 months when she basically avoided the news and all the garbage around it and instead posted lighter and more fun stuff.

I think Vinny has a case of hero worship gone sour. Poor lamb. snort

One thing that really drives me up the wall are people who accuse you before they have all the facts. On the other hand, it can be funny when they realize their mistake.

Update: Vinny has disappeared the post.

Ow! I just felt my English teacher whacking me on the knuckles. She would, at this venture, remind us that "disappear" is an intransitive verb, and therefore cannot take an object. You might try, "Vinny has made the post disappear."

What about all that time I spent on the streets selling sexual favors to earn money for your damned laptop? My pride! My dignity! How am I gonna get that back???

The least you could do is pay me back all the money I earned for you. I want my $1.75 dammit!

Uh...Scott. That "disappeared" was intentional. It's not a real word, but I use it on the internet!

Solly, Grandma said it was the best $1.75 she ever spent!

hee hee Vinny disappeared the post?

Ah..a Kerrylite tactic..(who was IN Cambodia before he was NEAR Cambodia)

Vinny, do you have a magic hat, too?

::guffaw:::

She didn't tell me she was your grandma, or I would have given her your usual discount. ;)

I completely missed the controversy, but having read this post, all I can say is, Michele, you are a class act.

I'm sorry you won't be blogging the convention, since I like your style.

Michele: None of my business, and feel free to tell me to shut up, but I'll add my two cents: Please reconsider your decision.

I think if you go to this convention, you'll be glad that you did after. Yeah, it's a pain in the ass and of course you don't want to schlep all the way there and fight with the crowds, but I think you'll find it rewarding in the long run.

Reporting is always risky and usually a pain, but there's no substitute for actually going somewhere and seeing the story for yourself.

That's all. Best.

Michelle: Uh...Scott. That "disappeared" was intentional. It's not a real word, but I use it on the internet!

I missed an inside joke? Damn! I hate to ask, but could you explain the inspiration?

okay, I skipped to the chase though other posters probably said this: who the heck is Vinnie? but then, since I am reading this because it is headed "Laptop Scandal," and I've had my own today, I had to dive down the rabbit hole.

your story probably wasn't anything like mine, except that it sounds like it sucks, and even crappier is that it sticks for a while when people are the reason.

stupid story: adjunct instructor checks out said laptop from campus IT guy. [ironic -- these folks will never be "it" guys or gals; yes, I'm bitter] okay, so that was over a month ago. and yeah, I remember something about only having it out for a few weeks before checking it in. but then everybody on the faculty, including the dean, asks why I would have to check it back in when nobody else ever uses them. being summer, I let life get in the way without worrying about it, which I should rue, according to a certain person.

it's like this: the IT guy has a colleague, we'll call her hell-bitch. she calls yesterday while I'm out, then e-mails me promptly this morning with, well, basically a cease and desist order about checking back in the laptop or else I will never be able to check back out the laptop.

is my major mea culpa in writing and instant response that I will do whatever said IT demigoddess decrees enough? ohhhhhh noooooooo. I call to follow up, and get the third degree about my understanding of "the rules" and am patently told that "they" can in no way be seen to be favoring one instructor over another. the "another" being strictly hypothetical, but in no way any less important.

with garbled instructions as to my fate, e.g. "you can return the laptop anytime today, and IT guy will contact you about when he can help you download your junk off said laptop," I did what any sensible newby would: I tossed it into the dean's lap. which I can, since she is extremely kind, no-nonsense, and doesn't treat me like I am utterly replaceable and a pain in the ass.

ahhhh. I feel better already. hope you do, too, 'cause misery loves company. cheers! and bless you for apparantly putting your family first. it will pay greater dividends than anything else. not to mention the gratitude of society when they turn out to be normal, instead of wxxxettish.

not to be egregious, but I went back and read the "more" part. I hope you blog heavily on the convention no matter what. it was the only thing that got me through the dog-and-pony show we call the DNC without feeling in the dark or apathetic: intelligent blogging. since the wires and other outlets are basically garbage these days, we need good reporting such as your blogging -- smart people willing to sort through the dreck known as network news for the weaker among us.