Yep, Spaw, that is a spot on observation. In my heart of hearts, I wish that the place would somehow serve the needs of all of those that have been here. Some that have left have touched my music and my spirit in very special ways. I miss them. I miss Bruce O. But it is as I said when he announced his departure, if you just can't live with it the way it is, then it is best you leave. That wasn't a desire for him to leave. Just that you can't change the essential nature of the place to what you want it to be. But I really think that the "goings" miss what the real beauty of the place is. The Mudcat can be whatever you desire it to be. And it can be different things to the same person depending on where the old noggin is at the time. This past 10 days it has been an invaluable place for me to get a read on 9/11 from a variety of perspectives, including the perspectives of friends very close to Ground Hero. Other times it is, for me, a place to talk issues near and dear to me, that inspire the music I sing. At other times, such as now, when I am headed into a time of change and intense work on new instruments, it is a source of knowledge that I can find no where else. And sometimes it is a place where I can escape from the very serious work that I do and just be a smartass, or crabby, or very serious. But at all times it is an inspiring place, where I have made many friends. In the end, that is why I will never leave. Because I have made true friends of the heart here. And they know who they are.

Yeah, I wish they would all come back, because I miss their contributions. I wish they would come back and quit complaining about the parts they don't like. Instead, just use this incredible village in whatever way suits their needs best.

All the best,

Mick