The Barista vows to eat less and write more thank-you notes in 2005, but James Bratek resolves to never submit another post to the Montclair Watercooler.


His post appeared on the Montclair Unmoderated message board.

Happy New Year to all!

One of my resolutions for 2005 is to never again post a message to the watercooler list, in hopes that, if others do the same, there would be no discussion activity therefore the value of being a member/subscriber there diminishes to the point that either the moderators get their act together and rewrite the guidelines to serve its constituent’s needs (ask us for input, listen to our ideas, create a forum for us not you), or everyone simply unsubscribes and joins the unmod list instead.

20 replies on “Department of Unusual New Year’s Resolutions”

  1. Q: Has James Bratek ever started a thread of general interest here or elsewhere, or is his lament about oppression on the watercooler the one note he can sing?
    A: Watch how many rats follow this piper.
    Happy New Year to all and to all a good year.

  2. Oh, yeah, as to the original question:
    I resolve to work toward better government, better public discourse, and an emphasis on honest analysis in my contributions as well as those of our elected representatives.

  4. “Q: Has James Bratek ever started a thread of general interest here or elsewhere…”
    NO.
    “… or is his lament about oppression on the watercooler the one note he can sing?”
    YES.

  5. Strange. James Bratek makes an honest, heartfelt statement, expressing a gripe surely many have made in the past, and he is greeted by nasty, dismissive put-downs by people who will not use their real names.
    Happy New Year indeed!

  6. It might be helpful to read the second part of my original “resolution” message to the umod list:
    This is not bitterness … this is hope for a more satisfying experience that challenges an established organization … and I, for one, am not daunted by the odds … I look forward to the day I can participate in a neighborly discussion without waiting hours/days for my message to be approved and posted to all, or to be ultimately rejected by someone, to be able to read about topics “outside of Montclair” by Montclarions (and Veronians, and Cedar Grovians, and West Orangians, etc) themselves (we do talk about things other than Montclair, right?!) … so lets all channel our frustrations to yield positive results … 2005 can be the year of change!

  8. My resolution is to control my blood pressure by not letting posts written by bleeding hearts get under my skin.

  12. But I still resolve to have better public discourse, even, nay especially, with *them* in the new year. What do all of you resolve?
    And, in the spirit of applying “honest analysis,” please tell me what the ‘unmod list’ is?

  13. poetess,
    I’ll second your resolution, but only as long as we can have some fun too.
    unmod is the Montclair UNMODerated yahoo group.
    Found at https://groups.yahoo.com/group/MontclairUnmoderated/
    I was run out on a rail ( I can’t remeber if I was called a terrorist or a Nazi) but anyway as long as you are only a leftish partisan you will probably enjoy.

  15. I go away for a few days and I miss all the fun! New posters, bad words, bible discussion, the attempted destruction of Garrett’s secret lair (in the vast catacombs under his garage), a vast left wing conspiracy against ROC, plenty of crankiness, egregious factual errors and general online mayhem!
    Looks like my new year’s resolution to stop spending so much time at Barista just isn’t going to work. Happy New Year everyone!

  17. Hey Miss Martta – and now for my new year’s resolution: not to read ANY post written by extreme right wing, you belong in a red state people like you.

  18. That’s right Miss Martta, like Hilary said: Blue State, Love it or Leave it! No wait, that was the slogan of those conservatives busting heads of the liberal hippies in the sixties. Oh, it’s so confusing.

  20. ” you belong in a red state people like you.”
    Hil. Babe. Like, Rome wasn’t built in a day! Patience…

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