It is worth saying that this past spring, summer and fall were a Renaissance of Mudcat activities in the "real world". How many of us finally met, in substantial numbers, in 3 countries!! This is really the Mudcat Golden Age.

Still, there are definite cycles, but of course the concern is if they turn into downward spirals. Most of the longer threads inevitably succumb to entropy and graffiti, like older subway cars. And there are a lot of topics we have covered, so many new people coming in repeat some of the older ones -- I think there is a one year + phenomenon where you just get sick of it. I was personally lucky in my timing in that whenever I got bored with the place new people like Banjo Bonnie and others arrived in the nick of time.

I think it is true that you need not only topic starters, but topic sustainers, and many of the stalwart Mudcat idiots who could be counted on to contribute (I occasionally include myself) seem to me to be just way too busy at the moment. This is NOVEMBER. Busiest work month of the year.

I personally am in a new phase which I find depressing, since I am hardly here at all due to time constraints. This is new for me. But I do hang around. And start a few hares.