I particularly liked the sally about getting his finger trapped in the toilet lid... right on the mark too... :-)

and I talk as one who's literary output was scatologically disparaged - I too challenged him as an outright bully and dared him to hold the output of his own soul for possible ridicule in the way he had treated others. All that got was some nonsense about his time being too valuable to waste here - which of course, if it was true, he wouldn't have been here spouting his foul mouthed obscenities at us for quite some time.

I think he got no better than he deserved, and I will repeat any of my similar actions in similar circumstances, without any pity or demur.

When I first joined Mudcat some clever ###### tried to have a go at me by making nasty comments about my intelligence, but as I have said, it's a great pity that when some people challenge me to a battle of wits, they turn up half-armed....

If they try to start a fight, I feel no pity if they end up getting hurt when I defend my self to make them leave ME alone - of course, in the ensuing fracas, some other's toes may get stepped on or a few bits of furniture rearranged, but that's life... :-)

I learned the hard way to play for keeps, at least in a intellectual situation. I still prefer to walk away from a physical beatup - but sometimes bullies insist on chasing you. There's only one thing to do then - hit them once, hard, and put them down for the count, and then leave them alone unless they want more.

But I do enjoy some clever intellectual sparring with friends - spawning creative insults in a friendly way can be fun, but people like Our Fiend Mart Gibberish like to dish it out seriously, but of course get hurt too easily to take it acording to the rules they want to impose on others.

"You right to freedom to swing your fists around stops at the end of my nose" allegedly John Wayne.

Robin