edscissors's blog

In my profile I mention that I'd always prefer to receive a personal message from anyone interested in meeting me. A guy hit the "challenge" button. He lives a long way from me, in a different country. He gave me no indication why he wanted to meet me - but I was flattered, of course.

I wrote back politely, declining his challenge, as I didn't think we were a very good match.

He messaged back asking why.

I replied, still trying to sweeten the pill, politely. Sorry, but I prefer to meet younger guys.

He replied with just one word: "BAD".

I was tempted to send the same back to him - maybe even to block him - but I think I have more than fulfilled my profile promise to reply politely to anyone who contacts me.

I expect I shall receive some "hate" votes for a sort of minor rant ... but I really don't feel too guilty about this Swiss guy. Maybe rejecting him as an opponent was "my bad" (I hate this expression) ... but, personally, I would never ask WHY I'd been rejected. My practice is, always, to THANK the guy for his response then leave him alone: not everyone bothers to reply and it is so important (in my view) that we are polite and considerate one to another here at MF.

Edward

Admin and his team do a lot behind the scenes to ensure our site runs smoothly. I am very happy, therefore, to help out a little by participating in the peer photo review process.

The results, however, seem inconsistent. Example. I classified a rather blurry photo as ... rather blurry. Final classification: clean portrait. Next time I got a blurry photo I therefore let it through as a clean photo portrait. Final classification: blurry! I could mention other similar cases.

I do try hard and take care to consider each photo seriously and am disappointed when I get a red cross against an entry in my list of classifications. I don't know what the answer is but wonder if any other members have noted similar inconsistencies? I do have great respect for the services offered by our site, however, and, as a token of my good will and gratitude shall certainly continue to make my small contribution in my maybe slightly muddled way.

... because you are blocked.

Well thank you very much!

I had a pleasant, welcoming exchange with a new MF member last night. Perfectly polite, perfectly cordial, no threat or unpleasantness on either side. Next thing, I'm blocked. His prerogative, of course, but so unnecessary. A simple, polite "thanks but no thanks" would have done the trick and, I suggest, been more in the spirit of our site.

I've been here before and I know that others agree with me that the "block" button should only really be used in extreme circumstances. I'm so sorry, young chap, and hope that you will find what you are looking for here on this excellent site. Hitting the "block" button was, I think, lazy.

I've sometimes politely turned down invitations to meet but never had occasion to block anyone. Am I bitter? No, not really. Just disappointed. It's so easy to be polite, respectful and considerate.

A week ago I was in New York. I went partly, of course, because who would not be excited by a trip to New York ... but partly because of WrestleFest. Personally, as I have already described, I had a great time meeting just a few friends and, otherwise, enjoying New York. Others in the same hotel (the Pennsylvania Hotel on 7th Avenue directly opposite Madison Square Gardens so really, really central) seem to have had full "fight cards", meeting multiple opponents each day.

Few MF members can have been unaware that it was happening last weekend: match requests seemed to focus on New York. Blog entries too (including my own description of my stay in New York - many thanks for all the nice comments) seemed to focus on New York and WrestleFest.

Here in the UK Manchester seems to be the place where there are most meetings. For me, however, the attraction of the NY WrestleFest was that all arrangements/meetings could be private. I'm sorry but I'm not brave enough to appear in a public group (even, for instance, at one of my friend John's Manchester meetings).

The MEETINGS facility seems to have disappeared from our site so maybe I'm too late.

But would it not be possible to set up something similar to NY WrestleFest here in London?

1. We'd need a suitable hotel: central, cost-effective. I suggest that a chain of basic hotels might be suitable. I won't mention the name of the chain here but if booked in good time the rates are OK - and they provide a decent full breakfast ... which is better than the Hotel Pennsylvania managed! Sad that the Regent Palace Hotel no longer exists: that would have been perfect, an exact London equivalent of the NY Penn Hotel.

2. If the "Meetings" facility on this site has been withdrawn, we'd need to find an alternative method of showing an up-to-date list of who has signed up.

London WrestleFest: WHY DO THIS?

A friend of mine, well known and respected on this site, recently came to London for the weekend and there was immediate interest from people who might not otherwise have been able to meet him as he lives too far away to make a meeting practicable.

Might other fighters, from the UK maybe, from Europe, maybe from even further afield, come to London for a weekend, if they/you felt (as I did in New York) that you might be able to meet, efficiently and easily, LOTS of wrestlers you really want to meet and all in the same place/weekend?

Is this a mad idea? TELL ME!

Edward

First, and above all, I had fun. Definitely.

I'll write first about the hotel. If you sign up for WrestleFest you make your own arrangements but it suited me to stay at the Penn Hotel. It's a time-warp. I had an enormous room with a sitting room attached (I hadn't expected that). I was comfortable and had all the space I needed to meet people I'd planned to meet and, indeed, sometimes, while I just lay chastely on my bed reading, I was able, unexpectedly, to host other guys' fights in my unexpected "spare room"! I met some interesting people! Yes: it was fun.

Next, I want to say how much I appreciate the work done by the organiser(s). It's true that we all made our arrangements as individuals, including booking accommodation, but the whole thing needed to be set up. I had several e-mails to and fro with the organisers and with more people than ever signing up this year, their work behind the scenes should not be underestimated. THANK YOU!

So - the people, the wrestling.

I had a great time and enjoyed every meeting. One guy I'd been in contact with for ages and this was the first time we'd met in person. Great guy: our first meeting in the flesh was easy and fun. I met a guy from back home in the UK. Sort of surreal to go to New York to meet him but we laughed such a lot and will certainly be meeting again, back home. Someone I'd contacted just on the off-chance that though he is less than half my age he might be prepared to meet me proved to be another highlight. I have a new friend!

Mostly, the setting-up of meetings went well. A couple of guys responded politely to my request for a meeting with a simple "thanks but no thanks" ... and I respect their politeness. One or two others didn't trouble to reply at all, which was disappointing. (One of my chaps DID meet one of them, quite a famous wrestler, so I asked my friend to give bad, impolite guy an extra squeeze for me!) I had to cancel one meeting as it was on my last morning before flying home and it would have cost me an extra 100$+ to keep my room beyond normal check-out time; I asked him to excuse a late cancellation. Actually, since he hasn't logged into the MF site for a good few days I guess this meeting might in any case have resulted in a "no show" on his part so I don't feel too bad. Another guy didn't turn up but contacted me after the putative event - so all is forgiven. There's always next year.

I confess that I took things pretty easily. New York is New York so you can't spend days at a time closeted in a hotel wrestling (can you?). I divided my time between meetings for a gentle wrestle, lying on my bed reading, and going out for great walks in a great part of the city that never sleeps.

Others seem to have had a very full fight card and came away exhausted. It became plain to me that some people were there for wrestling ... some for "other things". But it was all very purposeful and, during this, my first such meet, I met some nice people and had some good conversation.

I'd go again.