There is hardly any hide left on this dead horse, my friend. The only way to bring about positive change is to act positively! Sure, there are some folks who seem to have a way of subverting even the best of the music threads; but most of the time the good stuff is gleaned easily enough. There are still many positive threads to be posted.

For many of us who have been here for a long time, a lot of the discussions that aligned with our interests are now part of the Mudcat history. It seems that we have already discussed the majority of the songs that are dear to us. Even the non-musical threads are often not as stimulating as they once were. This is because a lot of the responses are not only predictable but are also often only re-runs of previous discussions.

As an illustration of something I have said before in the threads, I will say that one of my favorite quotations defines fishing as: "the ever constant renewal of hope". That is to say that the next cast might be the one that catches the fish you've been wanting. It is with that same kind of hope that I come back here hour after hour, day after day. Yes. I am here almost all the time; but it is not often anymore that I find something to which I have anything (new) to add.

I know there have been some fabulous friendships that have formed by way of the forum. I know how important that has been for me. I have seen the spirit of the Mudcat in many more manifestations than are obvious to the casual visitor. That spirit still remains here even though it might be buried at times under some of the vitriol and shallowness that some folks bring to the forum.

I still see that spirit. I still feel it. I continue to experience it through the music shared, through the friendships and camaraderie, and through the incredible hospitality to which I feel quite qualified to attest.

Yes, the forum has changed in some ways. It is not unlike some rivers I have fished. People would tell me, "You should have been here yesterday. The fish were almost jumping into the creels!" Maybe my experience today will not be the same as it was yesterday; but the river is still beautiful.