thanks for the positive feedback on my new Avatar(is that what it's called?) - it seems my original rehabilitation avatar -- the chimp (something our president is often called on more political boards), who didn't know how to handle the pistol was found a little unnerving by some board participants, who didn't get or didn't appreciate the political sarcasm. Although I can assure you that I never intended the chimp to be threatening, atleast no more so than the photo of "pinhead" from the movie "He11raiser," which has always made me a bit squeamish.

Anyway, I thought and I thought about what I could put up that would reflect my idiosyncratic personality (perhaps herbandseals characterization of me as a shock jock is closer to home than I care to admit?), without suggesting violence and the "kiss" just seemed to fulfill that need for being outrageous without suggesting violence or threats of violence. However, I'm still pondering avatars, because one member, whom I respect very much and who supported me when I was banned, has suggested that the "kiss" makes her uncomfortable.

Here's the problem: obviously I love to hear myself talk and I love to read my own dense prose, much of which is undoubtedly incomprehensible to a normal person, who has never been exposed to the true strangeness of our cosmos. The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN article referenced in my signature is not a hoax -- not only the "laws of Star Trek," but the laws of phyics require the existence of parallel universes in which you or atleast someone that looks like you, feels like you and has your memories up to this moment exits. Try to fit that in an Avatar