I agree there Kendall, I aspire to hermitage myself!

I'm sure you are, like Mick said, a great crusty old fart(no offence!), but I didn't misunderstand you. I know you weren't saying dress and IQ are intrinsically linked.

If anything, I'm probably just oversensitive to the subject of being judged on appearance, having had a gutfull of it over the years. But I'm sure it's just a natural reaction to anything different in our surroundings... I do it myself sometimes but try not to form a negative opinion.

This progression through life into older age is certainly fascinating. As youth receeds, rather rapidly, into the distance it seems to get harder, for me at least, to recognise who we once were. I don't feel like the same person at all for some reason.

For all the faults of youth I'm still envious of the starry-eyed innocence it has.

damon,    trainee crusty old fart