I am not saying that I was right or wrong on any topic. But I have handled things very very badly in the past. I have met hate with hate, met verbal violence with more verbal aggression, taken personal slurs to heart and tried to dole out even nastier ones.
Mike banished me for six months for making what I thought was a fairly innocent comment about people obviously wanting to fight and fighting being allowed on AZB for the most part. Whether that lengthy ban was warranted for that comment or not I still did plenty of attacking in the past that warranted a lengthy ban.
I came to the conclusion that whether I am right or not when I go-off on someone then no one cares who was right. The topic is then lost and it becomes only name calling and insults. And I have to say that when the adrenaline gets going then it's addictive to want to get in the best zingers.
But it's not productive. At all. Maybe entertaining on some level but ultimately sad and hurtful. Believe it or not I am a peaceful person and I don't hold grudges. A few years ago I tried to eliminate the word hate from my vocabulary and not even use it casually as in I hate red pool cues. It's time to do that again.
I have been in this business for 25 years. I started selling cues as a teenager. I started making cue cases when I was 23 years old. I have been extremely lucky in my life to have been able to travel the world with this sport. I have tried to share those experiences where relevant on these forums. To that end I do think I have put up a lot of good content.
Unfortunately I spoiled a lot of it with the mean-spirited and nasty fights I have been in.
So for that I want to apologize.
------------------------------------------------------------
To the forum. I am sorry for subjecting you all to my tirades and rants when I felt I was only defending myself. I was often way out of line.
To Mike Howerton: You are one of my oldest friends in this business and I apologize for having been a huge headache to you.
Joe Van Buren: I am sorry that I did not respond professionally to your comments. Where I have been out of line and met your insults with more personal attacks I am truly sorry for that.
Jack Justis: No matter what I think about how you slighted me I had no grounds to wage an all-out campaign against you. We make leather bags not nuclear missiles. Again, I am very sorry about my actions towards you.
Monstermash (sorry don't know your name): I am sorry that I took personal offense at your actions and went on the offensive against you. You deserved a professional and courteous response to anything you said and did rather than a heated and emotional over the top one.
Snipershot: I have no idea what it is I that I did that made you threaten to kill me but I apologize for whatever I said to you that caused that reaction.
Craig Rittel: We have long resolved our differences but I still owe you a public apology for the level of argument that I took it to.
Michael Lalumiere: Although I unfortunately still harbor some major resentment against you I want to apologize for allowing myself to escalate our fights to unreasonable levels.
Eric Hu: I am sorry that I didn't just let your comments slide and took them personally. I should be tougher and not take your ribbing to heart.
Bobby Chamberlain: I apologize for going after you. You were only defending your friend and I wrapped you up in the general animosity I was feeling. I should have responded to your comments professionally and courteously.
Dave Wilson: Your job is tough and I apologize for making it tougher.
Ok, well I am sure I will remember more later or possibly those who feel I owe them an apology will let me know. In any case the bottom line is this. No matter what the topic is it can always be discussed and debated without personal insults. When those insults happen though they don't have to be met with even more insults.
I know that now. That doesn't mean that I won't ever want to go off on someone if they are being deliberately mean. Inside I want to but I understand that I need to keep it professional.
So again, to the forum, thank you for indulging and tolerating me and I do sincerely apologize for subjecting you to my bad side in the past. All I can really say is to use the only quote from Thomas Wayne that resonates with me at the core, "passion is a hard thing to conceal".
John Barton
Mike banished me for six months for making what I thought was a fairly innocent comment about people obviously wanting to fight and fighting being allowed on AZB for the most part. Whether that lengthy ban was warranted for that comment or not I still did plenty of attacking in the past that warranted a lengthy ban.
I came to the conclusion that whether I am right or not when I go-off on someone then no one cares who was right. The topic is then lost and it becomes only name calling and insults. And I have to say that when the adrenaline gets going then it's addictive to want to get in the best zingers.
But it's not productive. At all. Maybe entertaining on some level but ultimately sad and hurtful. Believe it or not I am a peaceful person and I don't hold grudges. A few years ago I tried to eliminate the word hate from my vocabulary and not even use it casually as in I hate red pool cues. It's time to do that again.
I have been in this business for 25 years. I started selling cues as a teenager. I started making cue cases when I was 23 years old. I have been extremely lucky in my life to have been able to travel the world with this sport. I have tried to share those experiences where relevant on these forums. To that end I do think I have put up a lot of good content.
Unfortunately I spoiled a lot of it with the mean-spirited and nasty fights I have been in.
So for that I want to apologize.
------------------------------------------------------------
To the forum. I am sorry for subjecting you all to my tirades and rants when I felt I was only defending myself. I was often way out of line.
To Mike Howerton: You are one of my oldest friends in this business and I apologize for having been a huge headache to you.
Joe Van Buren: I am sorry that I did not respond professionally to your comments. Where I have been out of line and met your insults with more personal attacks I am truly sorry for that.
Jack Justis: No matter what I think about how you slighted me I had no grounds to wage an all-out campaign against you. We make leather bags not nuclear missiles. Again, I am very sorry about my actions towards you.
Monstermash (sorry don't know your name): I am sorry that I took personal offense at your actions and went on the offensive against you. You deserved a professional and courteous response to anything you said and did rather than a heated and emotional over the top one.
Snipershot: I have no idea what it is I that I did that made you threaten to kill me but I apologize for whatever I said to you that caused that reaction.
Craig Rittel: We have long resolved our differences but I still owe you a public apology for the level of argument that I took it to.
Michael Lalumiere: Although I unfortunately still harbor some major resentment against you I want to apologize for allowing myself to escalate our fights to unreasonable levels.
Eric Hu: I am sorry that I didn't just let your comments slide and took them personally. I should be tougher and not take your ribbing to heart.
Bobby Chamberlain: I apologize for going after you. You were only defending your friend and I wrapped you up in the general animosity I was feeling. I should have responded to your comments professionally and courteously.
Dave Wilson: Your job is tough and I apologize for making it tougher.
Ok, well I am sure I will remember more later or possibly those who feel I owe them an apology will let me know. In any case the bottom line is this. No matter what the topic is it can always be discussed and debated without personal insults. When those insults happen though they don't have to be met with even more insults.
I know that now. That doesn't mean that I won't ever want to go off on someone if they are being deliberately mean. Inside I want to but I understand that I need to keep it professional.
So again, to the forum, thank you for indulging and tolerating me and I do sincerely apologize for subjecting you to my bad side in the past. All I can really say is to use the only quote from Thomas Wayne that resonates with me at the core, "passion is a hard thing to conceal".
John Barton
