Members who have left.

[bhodges]

Hola Mark, welcome back! 

--Bruce

[Mark]

Thank you both, Chris and Bruce.

[Bogey]

Hello Mark.  Hope all is well and welcome back.

[Renfield]

Welcome back, then.

[Mark]

Hi Bill, hi Renfield.

All is very well, I'm happy to report. Work is steady enough to feed my family, and a thunderstorm is now crashing over head to break the stifling weather of the past few days.

[springrite]

My hero! Welcome back!

[SonicMan46]

Mark - glad to see you return to the flock!    Hope to have you here for a long time - Dave 

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

This thread could now more aptly be called Members who have returned!

[DavidRoss]

Welcome, indeed, Mark!  I had no idea that's why you bailed out, but I can sympathize, for I've done the same on a couple of occasions when the atmosphere here turned sour enough (to me) that I got more irritation than pleasure out of visiting.  Anyway, you usually been among the more consistently gracious and good-humored members so it's good to have you back!  

[Mark]

My hero! Welcome back!

Your hero? I certainly hope not. I get vertigo at the thought of leaping over tall buildings in a single bound, and middle-age spread now means my underpants no longer go over my tights.

And Dave, how long I stay depends on two things:

1) The length of Saul's absence (or at least, the length of the absence of his ceaseless religious posting).

2) How well I do at controlling my blood pressure and exercising some maturity, rather than flouncing off in a huff when someone on the internet says something with which I disagree (proof, I think, that I have a sense of humour, if not quite a fully developed sense of perspective).

[Mark]

Anyway, you've usually been among the more consistently gracious and good-humored members so it's good to have you back!  

Too kind, sir, and more praise than my childish self deserves.

[springrite]

Your hero? I certainly hope not. I get vertigo at the thought of leaping over tall buildings in a single bound, and middle-age spread now means my underpants no longer go over my tights.

And Dave, how long I stay depends on two things:

1) The length of Saul's absence (or at least, the length of the absence of his ceaseless religious posting).

2) How well I do at controlling my blood pressure and exercising some maturity, rather than flouncing off in a huff when someone on the internet says something with which I disagree (proof, I think, that I have a sense of humour, if not quite a fully developed sense of perspective).

You are my hero because of your journey as a parent. Vanessa and I were both inspired by you and your wife.

[Bogey]

 Anyway, you usually been among the more consistently gracious and good-humored members so it's good to have you back!  

And there it is.  Now, how about some of those great thread starters that you are well known for.

[Mark]

You are my hero because of your journey as a parent. Vanessa and I were both inspired by you and your wife.

When I tell my wife this, she will cry.

Thank you for sharing something so touching. I genuinely had no idea.

[Mark]

And there it is.  Now, how about some of those great thread starters that you are well known for.

I do have a topic in mind ... but it's a bit controversial and might even be forbidden here, I'm not sure. At any rate, it'll reveal a sea change in my own position on a certain subject, and might even earn me some disapproving comments. Perhaps I'll wait till I'm feeling braver (or drunk - yes, I've made an occasional return to alcohol).

[scarpia]

How many times does it happen that a member leaves in disgust because there is someone here who he or she can't abide.  That person might subsequently leave and the one that has left to avoid him or her doesn't know.  I bet if a notice was sent out that Saul is gone we would have a hundred returning members.   

I realize that it is immodest to quote myself, but I just want to point out that I foresaw this glorious event!

[karlhenning]

Well, I appear to be here.

Permit me to appear to welcome you back! 

[Mark]

... this glorious event!

Not quite the Second Coming, but I do have a beard.

Permit me to appear to welcome you back! 

Permission granted, sir!

[George]

Mark!!!!!! Welcome back, my friend. I am so glad you returned! 

[Lilas Pastia]

Hello, there, Henry the Eigth!

I never read Saul's posts, especially not those that required 3 to 4 clicks on the  'page down' key . It enabled me to keep out of flame war material - either he lit up the match or someone else itched to do it in his threads. But I can certainly understand the aggravation many (most) feel here.

I don't think the Nigels will be back any time soon. I had the pleasure of meeting Nigel (ChooChoo) and attending a concert with him last June in Amsterdam. His schedule just doesn't allow internet forum time, and he is not too keen on the admittedly very varied level of discussion in these pages. In any case, I'd like to see both of them back. Very much so.