I've been grinding whole beans for coffee for a long time. Wouldn't have it any other way, and I am not a dilletant. I can't even spell it right. I had a good friend who was a coffee conni-sewer. I used to kid him that he loved coffee so much that he hated 90% of the coffee he drank. Those with the lowest standards are the most easily pleased.

I don't know whether this new thread is a good idea or not, but sometimes it is refreshing just to start over and maybe we'll draw some new people to the table.

Last night when I was talking to Severn on Facebook, he was recounting all the changes resulting from the squabbles that have gone on in the chatroom and some of the threads here on Mudcat. I've received complaints from several former Mudcatters recently, and the astonishing thing is that despite all the turmoil, hurt feelings and anger, everyone is innocent. How weird is that?

Sure, Mudcat has changed. It's changed several times since I've been on here and will probably change several times again as long as Max is gracious enough to put up with us. For me, the low point was the Martin Gibson days, and the endless nasty attacks on people of faith and Republicans. Mudcat lost a lot of good friends from all that stuff, including several kitchen table regulars who have sworn off Mudcat.

I still find people of good will on here, as I do in any group. I'm not a great believer in Group Think, whether it's about music, politics or religion. It's natural to be drawn to people of similar interests, but there's an inherent danger. When you define a group by who is not welcome, it can become poisonous. I think Mudcat avoids that for the most part, although that hasn't always been the case. That's what I like about this thread. There's no pressure to think like a group. Just bring pastries.

I posted this in a commentary about Group Think on my blog, lifting it from an e-mail I sent to one of my many friends I made here on Mudcat who has left this site:

The good thing about being part of a group of like-thinking people is that it reinforces your beliefs.
The bad thing about being part of a group of like-thinking people is that it doesn't challenge your beliefs.

Jerry