Susan, I just read your rant. First let me say that I-and I'm sure others-send you positive vibrations regarding your health.

Here's my response to your question "Why are we doing this, again?" {I emphasized the word "my" since others may have other responses to your question}

I start what I call "category threads" because it satisfies the Virgo part of my nature to list things. It also satisfies the Gemini part of my nature to learn about various things. I enjoy starting and posting to these threads, and I usually find them to be interesting reading.

I like to test myself and see what songs I can list within a particular category from memory. I also like to find out what songs other folks know within that category. In my opinion, category threads provide opportunities to learn new songs and learn information about songs that you know or didn't know before. I'm particularly interested in learning about songs within a particular category that I don't know and I think other folks might also be interested in learning adding more songs to their knowledge base.

Furthermore, I think that listing songs in Mudcat threads by category makes those songs more accessible to folks {including me}, particularly when the lyrics, and a video clip, or a sound clip are provided.

I'm not particularly interested in learning the songs themselves. I'm more interested in learning about the songs from an admittedly unscientic folkloric standpoint-which populations know which songs; how are the songs sung within specific populations {tunes, lyrics}, and what does a specific song mean to the person who posted it.

With regard to the last part of my last sentence, although it doesn't happen that often, I like it when people add personal information about these songs {how/when/where they learned them. That helps me get to know the poster better. This fits into my preference to see Mudcat threads as conversations and not just as ways of presenting information.

As I mentioned, these are my reasons for starting this category thread and others. Other folks may share these reasons or have other reasons for starting such threads or posting to them.

Whatever the reasons, I again thank you Susan and I thank others for posting to this thread.

Best wishes,

Azizi