Thornton wrote:

> Robert,
> There's no doubt you're highly educated & intelligent in regards to the
> topics discussed on this newsgroups, but I second the motion that you're
> also quite rude.
>

It's a New York thing. What may be construed as rude is probably just a typical
crass New York way of speaking to people.  New Yorkers tend to just say what
they're thinking without paying attention to how it's received. I guess I'm used
to it. I grew up on Long Island and have been working in Yonkers for the last 15
years. In fact I graduated from NYU when they had the School of Engineering in the
Bronx. You should spend some time in Israel. These people take rudeness to a new
height. But again, its just part of the culture.