The names do crack me up, like "I'd Rather Not Say" and "Won't Get Fooled Again," and "Zombie Warrior" and "zenhead" and "NY Shooter" and "Merry Christmas from Hell." God, those really would be funny on name tags.

I've wondered about the same people you mentioned. Juliebird too and many others who I can't remember right now.

I've thought a lot about online communities and have wondered about doing a project about them (for my capstone project for my master's degree). Like, Do people invest themselves honestly, If not then why not, Do they compromise family life for their online relationships, Do they become addicted, Are they hurt by posts, Do their jobs suffer, Do they ever meet in person, Do they change their minds as a result of online sparring, Do they go to the community to feel better when things at home are bad...

I think I can guess most of the answers, but it would be interesting to get some detail. I wonder how I'd go about it.

I've been meaning to ask you. Do you look anything like this?

http://maggieg.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/f_charge.jpg

that there is a serial killer on the loose at salon. But how would we know when someone was offed? Quite seriously, it has occurred to me that if a regular poster died--you, me, AKA, jeb, dolores, anyone--the rest of us really wouldn't know. We would just think that the person got sick of this place as so many of us have. But they'd never come back (as so many of us have). It shows how ethereal or tenuous the connections here are, but, really, isn't it a weird thought? If Weeping for Brunnhilde was killed in a car crash yesterday, we would not now know that. It shouldn't matter, but it does. (That was just an example. I happen to know WFB is not dead as he just emailed me today).

to recommend a book I just read and enjoyed. It's called THE WRITING CLASS by Jincy Willet. The protagonist is a decidedly unsexy, unsympathetic, unheroic character, a recluse whose only foray out into the world is a writing class she teaches. The class is filled with eclectic adults, one of whom turns out to be a sadist and killer. But the group continues to meet anyway, and it's a fascinating psychodrama trying to figure out which of these characters is the nut. It's funny and sly and genuinely scary at times, and the best thing is that it's filled with very good writing advice as a backdrop.

I won't tell you whodunit, but let me know if you do end up reading it, as I'd like to know if you appreciated it as much as I thought you might. Don't get me wrong; it's not earth-shattering literature, but it's a clever summer read.

Are we still having a party?

you're not being paid by John McCain. ;)

(I think we've jumped the shark here with all the psychoanalysis. Jesus, this should be Survivor, and there should be a prize at the end. If not a million dollars, than at least an eligible bachelor? Not that I need one, dh, if you're sneaking a read of my posts).

I'm spent. Good night.