Sorry, I wasn't here for that argument, so didn't realize you'd gone all over this ground before.

And I've got no problems at all with retreading old ground! I am Reiteration Girl. As Michele, actually, knows. But I started feeling like I'd said enough for today and everybody was kind of delicately coughing into their hands and going "why won't she shut up".

I mean, I'd said my argument, and other people said theirs, and even though I still run with my same point of view, I'd run out of new things to say yet. To just reiterate my own argument would only, I thought, annoy people.

There are no old arguments, Liz, only old audiences. And you've got a new one, so go for it.

Aye, doll - preach your socks off.

Well, this bit is still very similar to something I said ages ago at WX-- not *much* has changed. I dunno.

I read your piece, Liz--must have missed it before--and I can tell you've thought about it and stand by it. But I think it's like Buddhism for me: I understand people believe firmly in it, but I'm missing the brain chip that does more than academically appreciate Buddhism. I never try to sway people from deeply felt beliefs (or I try not to), it's the primary sin in my book. If we can come to the point where we can both say, "You have valid points, peace be on your house," then it's better than a lot of such conversations end up.

Well, of course.

You say "of course" because you're a reasonable, rational human being.

Shorthand: Buffista.

Some of these conversations end up in porn at twenty paces. That's how Trudy and I first bonded.