I think having a next-of-kin list is weirdly disturbing.

I don't think so, Victor. Certainly enough people have my contact information, plus once you have my last name, you have me. I'm just wondering if we might want to offer the option.

I think having a next-of-kin list is weirdly disturbing.

Hell, I've gone to several massage therapists who asked for a "person to contact" in case I croaked while I was there. Anyway, it wouldn't have to be next of kin - just a friend who lives in the same city or something.

Are there that many regulars around here who don't have at least some RL contact with other posters? I'm not being facetious.

Not sure that I count as a regular, but I've only met one 'ffista IRL, and traded emails and gifts with a few others.

I'm feeling Big Fished, I guess. without the lovely effect of seeing the beautiful Ewan.

That's EXACTLY the way I'm feeling--and you said it better, Kat.

I'm trying not to be militant in my desire to know the Truth. And the fact of the matter is, we may never know for sure. But this very civil conversation has helped me reach a point where I'm comfortable with my own beliefs even though we might not reach a concrete conclusion.

I want everyone to feel comfortable with that but others may need a little more. And I'm sure there are some that think this search is useless or off-kilter for a virtual community.

Middle ground seems fine to me, though.

.

Two points of reference:

1) Everybody should recruit a real, live older sister to the board, to verify one's existence. (Sister should not live someplace like Montana.)

2) You all remember that one time, back in like 2002, when a friend of mine didn't hear back from me via email (I was on a road trip) and looked up the Buffistas admins and emailed them to find out whether I was dead?

The Stompies were gracious and merely forwarded the email to me. But, it's funny in retrospect that one internet friend (whom I had met in person) emailed my other internet friends (whom I'd also met at that point) to verify my continuing state of livingness.

(Not that I had claimed I was dead.)

(I returned her email, sheepish, a week later.)

What about us is not solid, Cindy?

You all remember that one time, back in like 2002, when a friend of mine didn't hear back from me via email (I was on a road trip) and looked up the Buffistas admins and emailed them to find out whether I was dead?

Heh. When some of my Internet friends thought I might have died in the tsunami, they tracked down my home phone number from a college website and left a message on our answering machine, I guess in case someone was checking.

What I'm not feeling solid about is us.

Could you elaborate, Cindy?

What I'm not feeling solid about is us.

How come?