Good luck!

Thanks, but I never win these things. Not angling for sympathy, despite what Cryshalsing loves to say about me. Just acknowledging that I have never, ever won a raffle of any sort.

I try to take words for their meaning. I didn't feel like you were angling for sympathy.

Thank you. I'm sorry for going off like that; it just really hurt, you know?

No prob. It's for this reason I have a rule I try to follow when discussing ANYthing with ANYone: don't try and guess their intent. For me, it leads to badness in general- if I'm right, it doesn't prove their statement wrong, and if I'm wrong, I made a baseless accusation.

I try to avoid facetiousness and swearing. I try to avoid personal attacks and hostility. If I get angry, I try to identify why I am angry, and then I ask the person to clarify their position. If their position IS the kind that makes me angry, I ask why they have that position. But I've learned that's generally a good place to stop. Give people evidence that they're wrong, and few will admit they "even have the possibility of being wrong."

Prime case: Daddy's apologies (he has to issue them frequently) usually include a "Well, MAYbe I was wrong, but it's still your fault for doing a thing that made me do the thing." Pride can be a terrible thing.

I don't think you did anything that merited attack. But what does an ignorant introvert sexist anti-social violent republican know? (:P)

At least as much as an arrogant, elitist, bleeding-heart mama's boy. Well, said, friend, well said.