D. L., Amen!  Your comments about "poly-glop" in 060308 MMDigest remind
me of one of my Dad's favorite stories:

  A NW Territory trapper had worked almost 50 years setting trap lines
and selling pelts, and decided it was time to retire.  He felt badly
that all his skills and intimate knowledge of the wild would be lost,
so he decided to take in an apprentice for his last year.
  He taught this young man how to navigate the wilds, read spore,
detect bent grass, and discern other delicate signs of animal trails.
  He demonstrated how an invisible snare could be laid, how to skin
and preserve the pelts, and how to haggle for the highest prices when
trading.
  In short, he imparted a life-time of knowledge to his young
apprentice.  As a final gesture, he gave the young man his traps and
gear.

  And then, the trapper retired to Florida, where he gratefully basked
in the sun.
  One year later, the trapper visited his home town and decided to look
up the youth to inquire how the past year had gone.  He found the young
man looking rather dejected.

  "How's the business going?" he asked.  "None too well," was the reply.
  "How many pelts did you collect this year?  In my best years,
I brought in over 1500."  "Only four pelts," was the reply.
  "Four?!  Incredible!  Did you look for trails and set the snares just
as I taught you?"
  "No.  I found a better way."

Cheers!
John D. Rhodes  (Robbie's brother)
Vancouver, Washington