Joe is the public face of Mudcat for a very good reason. He takes a minimalist approach to moderating, does not allow his personal likes/dislikes get in the way of his duties as a mod, and gives everyone a person they can direct their concerns to. I am sorry that Tom didn't realize that I am a co-moderator, as I have not made a secret of it. If there is someone that is more comfortable contacting me, or if you can't reach Joe, please feel free. But Joe and I talk things through a lot, and our focus is to make sure the place stays a site where creative anarchy can flow as Max intended from the start. The only restrictions we place on that are those designed to stop folks whose main goal is to manipulate, and be nasty. As always, Max is the ultimate authority in all matters. He made it, he kept it going through thick, thin, kids, marriage, and a beagle puppy (the most daunting task of all), and our goal is to make it what he wants it to be.

It seems to me though that we shouldn't let this thread get steered away from one of its central tenets. We are coming onto the season where we all do a lot of shopping. Like it or not, for this to work for Max, he needs to be able to have it produce income. He isn't asking for handouts, he is asking that you direct your e-commerce towards this place you all care about. I am restating this so that we all plant it firmly in our minds.

And remember, if there is something you want that you don't think you can get through Mudcat, drop Max, Joe, or I a PM and let us see if we can find a source from which Mudcat Cafe' can derive some income.

All the best,

Mick