The first person I really connected with here was the illustrious Gene Graham. I asked about "Ghost Riders in the Sky" and he posted this huge screed about the guy who wrote it, and I was totally amazed at his generosity to a complete stranger. And then the wonderfulness of it all hit me: you could actually pool folk generosity in one place, and the Internet allowed you to do that because of its mixture of anonymity and intimacy, and Max's brilliant design! Still a wonder.

And we are coming up on the next Mudcat birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yours, Peter T.