Hello Mudcat pals, I've been shut out half the summer because my computer got toasted by lightning and stubbornly refused to be rebuilt. My computer guru and I were also taking vacation time, at different times, so downtime galore was my mantra. Having followed some of the threads from work, I know I've missed out on some interesting discussion. I'm not going to come in this late and rehash anything, I'm just going to draw your attention to something that might be of interest, considering the origin of this thread. Someone (Joe Offer I believe) added The On-Line Books Page to the Mudcat links. On-Line books is a wonderful project, worthy of the Digital Tradition, They recently added a book called

.......I.W.W. Songs to fan the Flames of Discontent. By Joe Hill.

And for those naysayers who think that our rants aren't going to change anything, I'll admit that since our discussion about objectionable material, I've given serious thought to my whole stance on freedom of speech/artistic license, and have recognized that I can't just conveniently park my ass on one side of an imaginary fence and ignore the concerns of people on the other side. Ok, I'm just one insignificant guy in a big crowd, and I'm not changing the world, I'm not even changing my opinion, but I'm LISTENING to the other guy. Hang in there Chet, I may strap on the gloves and go a few rounds with you in the future, but I'll darn sure pick my fight more carefully.

Frank I.T.S.