In a message dated 98-01-12 16:30:11 EST, you write: << If the ethos of a mailing list places the avoidance of offense above the wish to divert & engage then I'm obviously in the wrong place. I wonder would J.D. Salinger - or young master Caulfield - feel any more at home ? Scottie B. >> eh, I don't know about this one. I've been on the list...eh...a month or two, have had people peed off at me, have seen people peed off at others, and have seen people peed off at people getting peed off at them, and your post was probably the one time I thought someone had good reason to get peed off (subtle consdescension notwithstanding). I mean, if you Brits and Scots had half the class or culture of your Irish neighbors I wouldn't have to explain why this is true :) Just have you a nice beer and a nice fat steak smothered in ketchup, and if you still don't understand go ask an Irishman. He'll talk slowly and explain things in words you can understand. It's ok, we can't all have the class of the Irish, especially those on that Lesser Island. :) To be honest, though, the first time I read your post I didn't think, Boy someone's gonna get mad about that. I thought it was "deliberately" tacky, and spoken with tongue in cheek. But I do understand someone getting offended... Jim