Subject: Just A Suggestion: Hi Gadfly, I appreciate that your site has consistently been advertised as an "open forum". That said, I suspect that you want to keep the site entertaining. To that end, you need to do something about your repartee with Mullicaman. There was a time, way, way, way back, that the posts from Mullicaman were somewhat entertaining, but the latest stuff is way short of what I expect from my Gadfly experience. My suggestion: perhaps you and Mullicaman can e-mail each other about your positions on a flat tax, religion, whatever...and when you find a morsel of interest in Mullicaman's writings, you could share them with loyal Gadfly readers. This way, Mullicaman can get his ego stroked by communicating with Gadfly, and the rest of us can read the site that we have come to enjoy lo these many years. The people that I know who read the Gadfly don't come here for intellectual stimulation...we come here to find out what is going on in our fair town, interspersed with some gratuitous name-calling. Mullicaman's superpower seems to be the ability to readers asleep faster than a speeding bullet. SL

Subject: Mullicaman: I have to agree with Mullicabitch and Mullica Bastard on Mullicaman, he is boring the crap out of me. I used to find him amusing, now he's just downright obnoxious and all over the place. I'm not sure which side of the fence he sits on, but it's apparent to me he's sitting right on the fence pole and talking like he has a stick up his ass. I also never thought I would say this, but Mullicaman, you are giving Larry and the Gadfly and bad name. Sit back and stop taking yourself so seriously or perhaps as your doctor for a tranquilizer. Sign me, Mullica Bitch Too or Mullica Bitch II or Just plain sick and tired of Mullicaman's rhetoric.

Subject: Mullicaman: Hey Larry, remember how Batman had the red bat phone? I think I hear Mullicaman's phone ringing..........it's goes bor-ing, bor-ing, bor-ing.

RESPONSE: As someone who can be long winded (boring) myself about issues, let me come to the defense of Mullicaman. While name calling and mud throwing is entertaining...and there is an interest here in entertaining readers...there is also an interest in providing information and debating issues. The posted 'Subject' and first sentence often gives insights into the topic and if religion or taxes are not provocative issues to you...just move to the next topic.

Where I find some agreement with the critics is that long postings are less likely to be read and the need to spin in a bit of wit makes the medicine (information) go down easier...a lesson I often fail to grasp myself in the passion of my immature need to make a point. My sincere hope is that Mullicaman is not the type to be scared away by those with a short attention span...but might find some merit and insight in the above observations.