Surrounded by 8 pit pulls today, I barely escaped with my life

[IrishAyes]

203. Eating my own words now

... at least nibbling a bit! No, you don't have that wrong; that was indeed my intent - with the caveat that my concentration on the other responder was not in any way a glossing over or ignoring of the original instigator. My attention had to be directed first at the person with the greater power of defusing the situation - the one who rashly let the other yank his chain. If he had kept his cool, I would've left him alone. Other than that, you guys seemed to have the other one put in his place pretty well w/o my piling on with you.

The words I'm eating are my previous declaration that I was done with this thread, though I do intend to avoid future involvement in the subject. Occasionally I just need reminding of potential dead ends.

My plea is still to one and all to keep your head and your heart open enough to see where the other side might have a valid point even if it takes serious digging to find. Somewhere a workable and just solution has to be found, and the louder we yell at one another, the less we're likely to succeed.

Well, this time I'm glad I swung by again or I'd have missed your latest response. Then I wouldn't have had the impulse to admit something that's probably not news anywhere. The reason I know how counter-productive and futile temper fits are is because, well... I might be the world's most expert practitioner. Yes indeed! Long experience in the trenches. Her Irishness has been known to leap into the mudhole with glee and emerge not really victorious but instead just as muddy as her opponent(s). Trust me, it ain't pretty.