Waking up every morning to Don's posts the past few week haven't helped things much IMHO. However, I really don't like to point the finger and he certainly has the right to post whatever he wants. We all have been polarized a bit since the war started and it doesn't really bring out our best.

Add the boards going down and the new format and you have a formula for more conflicts than usual and more frustration.

I appreciate your posts - you and Fox always seem to team up on me when I least expect it and force me to do a little research or read a little more out of my usual routine. I like that - even though I may not say so in the post. I always like to think folks can tell that my posts are written with a light heart and with tongue and cheek - but I can see that humor sometimes gets too close to the real McCoy.

I never take any of this stuff too seriously - and neither should you.

For example, if the kids in the library called you a name - would you let it get to you?

Of course not - kids love to explore boundaries and feel in control.

Well Mary Anne... welcome to the library of the HabitableZone - a veritable funhouse of varying maturity levels and outlooks. One has to approach exchanges here with the same lightness one has when one deals with strangers in the library. Yes, we know eachother all to different degrees - but basically that same shield should be up.

I don't want to see you not have fun...HAVE FUN. Who cares what I think of Bush or what Ed thinks of Ashcroft! Don't let our views frustrate you or depress you! There are hundreds of folks who will share very similar views to any one of us - and we don't let them bother us - so why should our views ever bother each the other?

This isn't a contest.
It isn't a formal debate.
It's really not that consequential in the scheme of things.

Tell us to buzz off - tell me to buzz off and please feel free to tell it with a smile. We (I) can take it and will get the message.

Our views aren't worth heartburn.

;-)

Sincerely,

SDAI-Tech1