Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury.

[ariadne]

This is my story. Read it if you like.

One day, I bought a pair of PolkAudio R10 speakers and took them home. I love them. I visited PolkAudio's site, saw the members area, then the forum. Joy! I like forums. They're uber fun. I posted some messages. Hey, this place is cool. This George guy is funny, too! George was talking about all the junk he had one day, and I asked him if he had any spare CD players he'd part with. I told him I didnt have a whole lot of money, so I wasnt looking for something like his Heavily Modified He-Man rig Magnavox. We agreed on a CD player, then found out that we lived about an hour from each other. Neat! He told me to come down, rather then ship it. This is cool. I couldent wait to meet George. Hell, the CD player wasnt that big of a deal.

Before you know it, I'm getting e-mails about other stuff he has that I might be interested in.. Receivers, Speakers. We talked a while about what he had. We decided to talk on the phone. Cool! One of the few things he asked me, was if I knew about Bozak. I had no clue, he elaborated. We talked a bit more, set a time to drop down. By this time, my JVC rig was sold, so I had some cash to spend. Note: This was a Quazi upgrade for me.

Then, George e-mailed me some more, and told me he had a FREE Sansui receiver. No way? Who is this guy? Santa? We tossed around some deals, came out with a figure, and as part of the deal I gave him my old Fisher speakers that were to be used in a x-mas gift for someone George knows. I was really going to give the Fishers to my friend, but since they were going to a good cause. Why not?

We drove to Georges, shook hands, said hi, talked. George explained why sealed cabinates are superior. We looked at stuff, he had more! $5 Tapedecks, nice ones, too. The stuff sounded good, while the tweeters in the EPI speakers were beyond ugly, and brighter then the sun. So? Turn the treble down. I asked him how much I owed him, handed him the money, and we drove off happy people. I couldent wait to play with my new toys.

Now I'm into buying old stuff, went to some thrift shops, talked to George some more. We're all one big happy family here. Hell, George even came out in my defense once, saying i was a "pretty ok kid" while some anklebiter was chewing my ear off about my technical inaccurate description of why speaker wire matters. Hey, I was half right.

So, we talked more. It's time for an upgrade, I've got a job now so I've got cash to spend before I have to start paying bills. Me and george talked, I mentioned I wanted to go with separates. AGAIN, I messaged George about a CD player, and asked if he had anything else around. I told him THIS time, money wasnt that much of an object. I was looking to take a huge step forward. He mentioned some pre-amps, and I thought about it. Mentioned a CD player, ok. Cool. Then, he had something up his sleve, he wouldent tell me what, and he told me not to ask questions, and he said "don't be in a rush to buy a power amp, you never know what's right around the corner." You might as well have just TOLD me George! I knew now, but I couldent figure out what it was he had. It was a 120WPC CLASS A-B (Automatic Class-A) Yamaha M-50 power amp, with a massive high current transformer (this thing makes my lamp dim at high levels!). I hear this thing is effectively Class-A up to 20watts, then switches over to Class-B. Great sound, too. I also got a Sony CD player, a ADC EQ, and a Carver C-2 preamp. Net cost? I think it was like $150. I was going to buy both CD players (a Pioneer as well) but I was worried about not having enough for speakers. George mentioned that later on, he gave me the Sony cheap, cus he expected me to buy both. I even offered to send him some money to make it up. He said it was all good.

Later on, on the forum he was talking about a nice Heathkit receiver he found at the thrift shop. Cool. Well, just so happens I picked one up too, but it was fried. I asked George if he wanted it after I repaired it (few transistors a regulator and some resistors were toast). He said no, but all is well. He mentioned i should start my own collection. It's all good.

Some more goes on in the forum. Joe rediscoveres his Grado SR-80 headphones that he hasnt used in a long time (before I knew what sound was). All I knew is they were ugly, not cool like my Sony's. I pulled them out and was awe struck by the sound. Between the cash I had leftover from Georges, and working and saving some up, I had $300 or so. I needed a fix bad, and I was really depressed. I decided to take 300 bucks out of school funding, and buy RT55is, make me happy, then put the 300 bucks back in a few weeks. Well, I wasnt too happy with the RT55is (different strokes for different folks). I took them back, put the money back, and thought about headphones. If 600 dollar speakers cant make me happy, maybe $300 headphones will sound GODLIKE. I talked about that for a while. Then heard about Acoustic Energies speakers. If I go with a small bookshelf, and use them nearfield, I should be able to get some decent bass out of them, then I don't need something huge, right? I was talking about a $300 set of AE speakers, after deciding against the Grados. No cigar there either. Stumped, and having no idea what to do, I decided to just splurge and buy a $179 Creek headphone amp, since I heard headphones sound so much better using them. Maybe I could be a headphone guy, until I get a big job and can afford those $3000 B&W's. Wow, big improvment in sound. I lent some money to my parents, bought some parts for my Logic Analyzer project using a pc's RS232 (serial) port, and bought a couple cds. I'm pretty much broke at this point.

At this time, I'm coming home after buying "A Perfect Circle Mer De moms" and "Eagles Greatest Hits" re-mastered.. Ugh.

I fire up my trusty PC, and check the forum. George is upset about all the cash I have, and why he wasnt informed I was so rich when I needed cheap Hi-Fi. Note guys, I've spent like $300... I told him money wasnt an object when I wanted to upgrade, and asked what he had. I was willing to spend a few hundred even on a nice Carver power amp if he had one. I'm NOT the poor sad teenager I was before I got a job. I'm far from rich.

I told him I wasnt, he listened not. THEN, he posts a reply to my posting about how I find it easier to write music down to get a good melody out, instead of fluently playing. Apparently, this was mis-read and interpreted as "the only melodic music thats written, is music that I MY SELF write." I'm confused now. I check my e-mail and George is yelling about how there will be NO MORE deals, because I deceived him, and I have more money then I made myself out to look.

I e-mailed him back, a big perterbed, and told him I appreciated the stuff, asked him why he was so concearned about my spending, told him to lay off. Hey, i was in a really horrible mood. I mean _BAD_. I got so pissed off a few weeks later I threw my own TV into the wall, because my laptop got lost in the mail. Talkin about breakdown.... He e-mailed me back, yelling about how I was some Smoothie or some weird talk, and going on about how I made him out to look like a real something or other.. You know, those people suceptable to scams. So, I scammed George for his cheap Hi-Fi. He told me not to blow smoke up his ass (where do people get these analogical terms?) I don't think he liked the fact that I called him Sir. I know this makes people mad, so I use it when I'm pissed. George hated it, and really got flared up. At this point, I'm BAFFLED as to why George sent me the first e-mail, as I'm far from rich, and was willing to pay lots of money for the stuff I got. I sent him and e-mail with LOTS of four letter words, he sent another back, we're biting each others heads off now. Eventually, I'm like ok man, I'm sorry, I ****ed up. Forgive me. Now it's time to tell Joe we're ignoring his e-mails, because he isnt too sharp on computers, and isnt sure what some immature teenager might try to do to it. Ok... I'm sufficiently blown away at this point.

I plead and beg, and apologize, to no alas my e-mails are ignored. I post on the forum, my favors of amens are responded to by sarcastic irritating riddles. I'm really confused now, as he called ME immature for taking money out of school funds. Which was pretty immature, but c'mon.. If this isnt the pot calling the Kettle black (another weird analogy).

Ok, now I just decide to argue over the forum. He judges my intelligence, whereas I proceed to express my wide knowledge in computer BS. This is all dumb, all of this, over a mis-understanding. Ok, I talked about that. We agreed to stay on the same forum without clawing each other to death like wet cats. Finally, I get irritated and leave the forum all togather. Bye everyone.

Ok, I'm back guys! Glad to see everyone remembers/liked me a little. It's cool. I e-mailed George apologizing, asking for forgiveness. And told him he could have the equipment back FREE, if he wasnt going to accept my apologies. It's hard to enjoy equipment that you got from someone that hates you so much. Every time you look at it, it reminds you. It's bad, believe me. Atleast, for me it is. George won't respond to my e-mail. He responds to my post on the forum however, another analogic funky riddle-like post. I'm not sure if he's happy to see me, or moaning about how I ruined his day by saying sorry. I was going to try being nice profusely, but I can see he's one of those people who just WONT forgive, no matter what.


The End

[George Grand]

I try to HELP people who need help. In the process of doing that, sometimes you get to know the person a little. Sometimes I find that I don't like the person that much. Then it is time to stop helping.

Keep the equipment, sell the equipment, I don't care. It's not mine anymore. I told you I would not slam you on this forum, and I haven't. Why do I have to wake up to "I love you George?" Why ME?
Kindly, leave me alone. I like it better that way. You don't need MY approval or friendship in order to get through life.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)

[wangotango68]

now that is a eye oppener for a sat.morning damn my eyes hurt reading that.

scott

[TrappedUnder Ice]

And as the World turns...so do the Days of Our Lives:D

[mjmcg]

I thought this issue was long since burried?

[ariadne]

Forget it, you've helped me make my decision. I'd rather not have you as a friend, as you're unpredictable, extremely immature, egotistical, and best of all "a few cans short of a six pack". I did nothing to you, and you decided to attack me, just as you had with our Speaker Guru. Which btw, is a really nice guy. You're loss i guess.

[Aaron]

Can we please drop this already? Nobody wants to talk about it anymore. What's done is done. Just drop it and move on.

Aaron

[mjmcg]

Pardon my sacreligious expression, but Jesus Christ drop it already dude.

[ariadne]

echo * > /dev/null ; mv ariadne off_this_forum; no; more; fsck; all;

[BobMcG]

What makes us the jury on a long ago dead issue?

What makes you think we're interested in being the jury?

Are you tring to drum up our sympathy?

I can't believe you made this post.

BTW:
I consider George a good person and my friend. You're barking up the wrong tree here.

[CHRIS]

Your like a lost puppy, man. (George I'm not blowing smoke up you a$$ I think you KNOW me better then that.) Joe, George and I are on the same terms as you and he. Do you see me posting over and over and etc. NO. I don't know the reason why but have a good idea.
George and his wife are comendible and people to be respected. Some people just don't click thats life. George and I had some good times that is what I will remember. Why don't you do the same and DROP IT man.
Chris Snake what ever you know me by!

[RuSsMaN]

Seriously Joe, I like you about as much as I can a person I've never met. I like George alot too.

You are a solid contributor to the forum, and thats a good thing.
If you and GG aren't all hugs and kisses right now, F it man. In the great scheme of life, be apprciative of the friends you have, and don't waste time on the rest.

I am all for this place being a 'release' when needed, but this is between you and him, and no one member here can 'pass judgement' on either of you. Keep it private, keep it between the two of ya'.

I think GG is one of the nicest people I've met, but if we were 'suddenly' not get along, big woo, sure, it's a loss, but move on grasshopper.

Nuff said, lets let this one lay, and move forward....

Cheers,
Russ

[axeman]

Boy did you think wrong Mikey!