BB Friends and others,

I should have known it wouldn't take much to keep this hornet's nest stirred up.

Apparently I got carried away and made a few sarcastic attacks on some of you. If you are one who feels this way, I apologize. I usually try to attack incorrect statements, factual errors, and the like; not people. Bright people say incorrect or dumb things. At least I do, and some folks think I'm fairly bright.

And it's fine by me that you have opinions. And no, I don't think anybody needs their opinion approved by me or anyone. I just think it's useful to know if my opinion is based on emotion, ignorance about a subject (I'm a dummy about a lot of things), or facts supported by verifiable data. Believing that a certain group catches more or less than 50% of the fish doesn't make it so. And if data are incomplete, then data don't make it so, either, but the data are what you can take into court and win, if that matters to you.

I really enjoy this BB. I learn a lot. I hope I return half as much as I receive. And if your mind is already made up and you don't want to be confused with the facts, well, that's OK too; you're not the one I'm trying to reach.

Oh, and a little history. I was born and raised in one of western Washington's many cultural backwaters, so as a hillbilly, I thought I knew who I was poking fun at. For instance, do you know why the yuppies in Sedro Wooley don't drive BMWs? Because they can't fit a gun rack in the rear window.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.