In case that was not merely a rhetorical question, MBSLynne...

I go through periods when I read Shambles posts...partly out of genuine curiosity, partly out of morbid fascination...sometimes just for amusement's sake, depends what mood I'm in at the time...and then I go through periods where I get heartily fed up with the whole thing and, like you, just skip over them. I'm in one of those periods now, most of the time. It varies.

I think many others would say the same.

I agree pretty much with your evaluation of this thread at this point. It was a good idea for Max to start it, but it has served to demonstrate very well how badly the place has deteriorated, as you said.

One thing I am bemused by...that some ex-member(s) are lumping me and Catspaw49 together as something on Mudcat they find deeply objectionable in the same way. Wow! That surprised me. That, I was not expecting at all. My goodness!

All I can do is shrug wearily and say..."C'est la vie!" No matter what anyone's personal style is, some people will hate it, some will love it, and others will be largely indifferent toward it or only slightly affected by it. That's the way it goes when you throw together many different personalities and they have to deal with one another in one venue or circumstance.

No matter how hard I...or anyone...has ever tried, they could not please everybody. I am certainly glad not to be a politician, and not to be famous either. It would be like being in hell, trying to meet all those expectations other people have of you.

The best anyone can hope for in this life is to be left alone by other people, in my opinion, and not to be judged by them. Who has ever been so lucky as that?