I think the very things that that are listed in the previous five posts, plus whatever any subsequent post will add, are what make up the very basis of what I know as Folk Music. Just the name itself implies "music of the Folk". Without a discussion of all these various elements, all the things we have been told for years one should not discuss, ie; religion, politics, sex, etc. our understanding of the music would suffer. I am all for the original concept of this thread, bring up whatever subject you feel is important to you and someone, sooner or later will connect it to a song! Said song may not be a "true" folk song, it may have its roots in old time or country and western, most of which of the older C&W songs were based on the human experience. Let's keep on keeping on, and lets not lose our sense of humor either, sometimes thats all we have to get us through hard times.