Speaking as a statistician, we may not be representative but we ARE a cross-section.

I would say not that Mudcat (or its members) have changed my thinking, exactly, more that they've changed my emotional response to this whole thing. That is, it's nice to know that there are a bunch of reasonably sane folks around the world, despite what the media are telling us... I am less filled with despair than I think I'd be without the Cat. But then again, bawling my eyes out at the local vigil Friday night probably helped more...