Let me just say one other thing, and this is for all to ponder. I checked the old archives, originally to find the original "Jim" post that David apparently found so funny. I didn't find it, but what did amaze, and somewhat sadden me, was the apparent loss of a vast audience/group of people that originally used to post here, and have not been heard of for YEARS.   Again, that is NOT good.  We need to start anew, if this is going to be anything other than old friends just chatting, and we can and should do that with our own private Emails.  Let's continue to discuss, provoke and focus on the music, hopefully...get back to our "roots".  David was our mutual inspiration, and we need to look at that.  Was it just the music that got us involved, the emotions and sentiments behind the music, his name, the cigarettes he smokes ...or whatever.  Maybe that funny "horsey" face (hey, don't look at me...David said it himself somewhere).

Gene

The post you are looking for did exist; I am sure of it.  Maybe it is in the archives from before the switch to this format.  The Pusser character said a bunch of junk, and Baerwald's gracious retort was to report that he laughed himself silly looking at it.  Or words to that effect.  I think it was approximately October 2000.  I am probably wrong, but it's way back there somewhere.

Now, as for your other comments, about the board having nothing going on now, etc.  I have to disagree.

I was not glad to see the stupid back-and-forths brought on by the Pusser character, but I also don't think that tells the story of what has happened on this board in the past week.  You mention all those people who used to post more, and who now post none.  (If you want my opinion as to why posting has dried up here, let me know, but I'll bet you can guess if you have been reading all the posts.)

Look again at the posts since Sunday, leaving out the Pusser ones.

Frankly, I think all the melodrama of "leaving the board forever" is just plain silly, and an obvious attempt to garner sympathy.  It represents a moment when someone desperate for attention has decided that the only way to get that attention is through a kind of mock "suicide." 

"You'll be sorry when I'm gone."  That kind of thing.

If we want to have a board that thrives, maybe we need to have a board that treats people decently.  In my opinion, a certain recent departure was a habitual offender in the "brow-beating" category.  Try though he might, that cat could not refrain from YELLING at people, since the cat was having trouble getting people to buy what he was selling.  (He also never seemed to understand that buying & selling are not merely monetary acts, necessarily.)

In my opinion, that recent, melodramatic departure is probably a good thing for this little community, because I personally know of quite a few people who might like to join in here, but who refuse to post to "haunted boards."  I can understand their sentiments, and I hope they come by some time soon, and see that the poltergeist has fled.

David Baerwald may hold some opinions that seem extreme to some, but he has given us thoughtful, excellent music to think about, rather than simply pollute message boards with talk of giant lizardine conspiracies and underground trains that go 500 miles per hour.  As you say, Eugene, Baerwald is why we are here, reading long posts by people we barely know.  His artistry is what gets the message across, and our shared recognition of each other as fans is what makes our dialogues possible and interesting.

So, gang, why not talk about that, instead of wishing for the return of that guy from the ILLUMINATI family?  After all, given that some of his posts were intended to provoke us in his idea of some kind of bizarre experiment (as stated in the alleged farewell missive), don't we owe him the old white-rat flipoff?

Personally, I wouldn't much mind if the person in question returned.  Fact is, I'll be surprised if he makes it through September without returning, as he is clearly quite obsessed.  But I find it hard to believe that so many people seem to see his rantings as somehow important to the life of this board.

Herring405