just the ghost of a dead horse>/I>

I like that.
..........................
One problem with the practice of throwing insults and sneers around is that it drives people away from the thread. I don't just mean the people who are the targets, but the people who look in and decide they don't want any part of a "discussion" like that.

And of course it is also liable to divert what might be an interesting exchange of ideas into a pointless squabble.