and that all what I yam. When you say <"your thinking processes show that you are not only no engineer, but probably never could be one."> I assume you suggest that as a put down? Hell man, I didn't want to be an engineer, that's why I left the Naval Academy.

In real life I have noticed that engineers are generally lost when they leave their drawing boards and the best and brightest of them seem to go into engineering sales. Sorry to tell you, I don't mind not being an engineer, lion tamer, or diamond cutter. In fact, I cringe whenever people have to indentify themselves by what the do for a living. To me, that is an insecure individual that requires a designation to provide them with an identity. Which brings me to a major point here.

One of the very nice things about being a liberal, left wing, general identifier is that a liberal by definition is individualistic and doesn't require validation from anyone else for his positions. I am a gun owner (and shooter), a former military person, a business person, a sports car lover, a wine afficianado and a host of other labels that I don't care if you share or not. As a liberal I can judge what is good for me and I feel no necessity to try and inflict that judgement on you or anyone else. I do get offended when you don't extend that same courtesy to me, however.

As a liberal I will attack ascribed status, religious conformity and political absolutism when they are being imposed on me or anyone else. But, I probably won't attack too hard simply because I think you have the right to be wrong.

Publius