No matter what the "tone" or "implications" or "innuendoes" of Chef's original message, he has a valid point and a legitimate complaint. Responses that focus on his "tone", "implications", or "innuendoes" raise those issues simply as a smokescreen to avoid addressing that valid point. Such responses turn the Mudcat exchanges into a game of "Mother May I". The respondent says "Since you didn't ask the question or raise the issue with exactly the right phrasing it is OK for me to ignore your point and jump all over you."

No one who has lurked Mudcat for any length of time would be the least bit surprised at the royal reaming that Chef got. Everything from his shoe size to her ancestry was called into question. But that's how Mudcat insiders normally deal with outsiders who say the wrong thing.

For all the touchy-feely, warm and fuzzy, good vibrations, sanctimonious talk that goes on a Mudcat, one really needs a pretty thick skin to be able to stick with this forum. For all the nice things that are said to newbies, they'd better know their place.

But.... All that is just fine with me! When I can no longer stand the heat, I'll leave the Mudcat kitchen.