Reply below: ** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >**Snip** > > I won't accept your challenge as stated, but perhaps > we can negotiate a compromise: I'll stop fighting with > Barry if you'll do what you describe. I won't commit > to a month, but I'll stick with it as long as you're > doing a good job. And you can quit at any time. > > There's one area you'll have trouble with, though, > which is if Barry tells falsehoods about me that > you have no way of knowing are falsehoods. I'll > have to step in in that case to correct the record. > > As far as my praising Barry is concerned, if I'm > moved to do so, I will. I've been known to do that > anyway. I'm not going to manufacture such occasions, > though. > > Is this do-able for you? > **End**
Just a little bit more of tweaking and we have a deal. We don't have to commit for a month, that's fine; we'll just go on until one of us calls it off. And I will do my best to both monitor and respond as (and if) I see anything along the lines that suggests that Barry is not playing fair. However, a caveat is necessary here: my view of Barry is not as jaundiced as your own; if I had any complaint at all it would be that he was perhaps more glib than accurate sometimes. But, it is true that for a long time I haven't read a lot of his posts. Nevertheless, I will do my best to be rigorous in my scrutiny. But I insist that you make an effort to look at his posts with a fresh eye and really attempt to see what's positive in them, and to praise what you do find to be positive. He is intelligent, he can be funny, he has had interesting experiences, his insight into other spiritual movements and religions, alone, makes him a valuable resource. And, you must refrain from criticism of him, even if he comments on other posts where you have been critical of someone else. If, indeed, he says some falsehood about you that isn't apparent from the context then you should correct that, but it seems unlikely that would happen. [An aside to Barry: this has to be one of your more bizarre life experiences, it certainly is shaping up to be one of mine. I don't know how you feel about all this, but would appreciate some feedback. As it is probably clear, I have no personal agenda here other than some hope that FFL can recover some of the easy going sweetness it had when I first joined.] [Back to Judy:] What do you say? Deal? Starting from when? Now? -Marek
