I get what you're saying, BillD. I wasn't so much saying that people shouldn't be nicer, so much as saying it's unlikely they will be. Your analogy of the fair-skinned people is actually a good one: Fair-skinned people shouldn't go out in the sun, and if they do then it is up to them to protect themselves, because the sun isn't going to cool down for them. You can say anything you want about MG, he is a force of nature like the sun, consistent and thick-skinned. He isn't going to change just because people get mad at him.

Perhaps being a native New Yorker has had an effect on me: sure, in a perfect world the muggers wouldn't be there, but seeing as they ARE there I had to be responsible for my safety growing up. Sometimes I got mugged. I didn't think it was MY fault, but I simply had to take what I got. I had no choice if I wanted to live my life.

By the way, if you looked through all my posts, you'd find a lot that might identify me: I'm a folklorist, native New Yorker, now live in Philadelphia, have a wife (and thus am probably a man--in fact, I'll tell you now that I am) etc. So I'm not completely hiding. But there are many things you won't find out, including probably my name (though I have PMd it to a few people, so they could always spill the beans).

But as you know, you can't be SURE I'm telling the truth. Maybe I'm a little old lady in Leningrad making Nerd up! Anyway, it's kind of a fun little game, how much each of us chooses to reveal.