The Angry Old Man and the Sea

The fury and the power of the ocean serves as a metaphor for our online squabbles.

Ships Running Aground During a Storm by Ludolf Bakhuizen, 1690s (Wikipedia, public domain)

I'm a Seinfeld junkie. Yes, it's a throwback to my Bright College Days, but it hit at just the right moment, and many of the phrases and scenes have stuck with me over the years.

One in particular is when George pretends to be a marine biologist and tells his friends about his adventure with the whale. He sets the tone by describing the scene:

"The sea was angry that day, my friends!"

(This is where those of you in the know finish the phrase with "Like an old man trying to send back soup at a deli.")

Anyway…

Being on the shore recently and having time to watch the waves, it reminded me of the sheer power of the sea.

"The ocean is an object of no small terror. Indeed, terror is in all cases whatsoever, either more openly or latently, the ruling principle of the sublime." 

—Edmund Burke

If you've ever been out on the open sea, or perhaps even stepped off of a ledge as you waded your way from shore, there's…