The Right to Gripe

Some time ago, my wife, who only remotely resembles the harridan on our masthead, got fed up with my frequent griping about various things. She set up this blog to shut me up. Okay, it was also to give me a constructive outlet for my complaints so she wouldn't have to listen.

I am not a professional writer, nor journalist, nor diarist. I can barely type with one finger and I think it would be fair to describe me as a cyber-troglodite. I am more comfortable with a spoke shave than a keyboard. I am nevertheless compelled by an aversion to waste, to do something with this blog. You, however, are not required to read what I post. Continue at your own risk.

Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary defines the word gripe as an alternate form of the words grip or grasp; as an intermittent pain in the bowels, and as an informal American verb meaning: to complain naggingly, constantly, to grumble. There you have it. I may now get a grip on my belly-aching and complain in peace.

In the process of beginning this venture, I think it wise to establish some guidelines for acceptable communication on this blog. I will call these guidelines "customs" rather than rules because, to paraphrase from Austen Tappan Wright, rules must be obeyed by everyone all the time whether there is a good reason for doing so or not. Customs are more flexible. Here then are the fundamental customs of this blog:

• Gripes should be impersonal, addressing general behaviors or conditions rather than specific persons or events.
• If possible there should be some suggestion for a solution to a problem, not just a complaint. This is to satisfy certain persons who insist on a positive spin to everything.
• In general, lewd or obscene language should be avoided as these tend to inhibit effective communication.
• Statements of a factual nature should be verified through online services such as Snopes or Factcheck.org prior to posting in order to avoid embarrassment.
• Errors in spelling, gramarye, and typography are to be tolerated, but not necessarily encouraged.

I think this is enough to go on with for now. Do leave us a comment about any of your special gripes and perhaps we'll use one as a theme. See you next week!

Professor Puddleglum