Just put a note in the Part 16 thread to the effect that "not negative" (my argument) and "positive" (your argument) aren't necessarily the same thing, and that the Shalon/Ailil affair was presented as neutral. HTH! (*sigh* it's another cool, cloudy morning in Washington. I'm trying to be thankful, considering what the rest of the country is getting, though!)

Hi there! Always happy to have you around. :) Please know that I don't intend to get in an argument with you; we had our discussion, we know where we stand, and we agree on so much else that it's just fun to have you on board here. I'm trying hard to stay out of this particular debate, but... *sigh* Tuesday's coming!! :)

I plan on going to the WoK signing on Monday night. Any chance you are going?

no prob...I mix it up too

It's a bit intimidating, really! I just hope none of them are stalkers. :) Seriously, every time I get a message that someone is "following" me, I blush a little and wonder why - particularly when I have just spent the last three days putting my foot in my mouth.

that last post was the straw that broke the camels back....I am now an avid follower.

I'm really wondering how my daughter would have reacted if she HAD dealt with the loss of a family member in more recent memory. (My mother died when my daughter was not quite 3, so she knows about it but didn't entirely understand at the time and doesn't really remember it.) We've tried not to shield her from the concept of death, and we've tried to help her understand the difference between fantasy and reality, with (I think) pretty good success. Still, she has a vivid imagination, so she gets caught up in a good story so that it seems real at the time. (Which is good, it's what makes a good reader, but at this tender age it makes me very protective of her in certain areas!) Fortunately, as you say, it's Pixar and you can be confident that it will end happily. Even Lotso had a pretty good end, strapped on the front of the garbage truck... LOL. Still, it was scarier than I'd expected, and it was her first theater movie. I hope this isn't an indicator of a new direction for Pixar.

I like the "ranty" bit--it's pretty good! (I use the term "omnisexual" the most because it sounds funny and means I like everything I like. *g*)

Happy Roman overlay on a pre-existing pagan celebration. LOL. And how true. Thanks for saying that!