In a message dated 4/26/2000 10:59:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

Chris, Heidi, John, Leland, Ken, Ralph, and Brass Spheres:

> it seems to me that such after-the-fact
>  venting (or gossip, if you don't prefer) is a legitimate means of
expressing
>  one's distress and exorcising one's humiliation

Venting, analyzing, mulling over, complaining, pointing out, comparing,
stressing ... all seems like positive, healthy human activity to me. Gossip,
on the other hand, is petty, personal stuff meant to be hurtful, in my book.
Now if we were to talk about R...S's Gucci shoes, whose behind(s) he may or
may not have applied them to, and what other leather apparel he may or may
not have been wearing at the time in a private encounter between consenting
adults ... that might qualify as gossip.

-- Patent Leather Pumps