In a message dated 11/12/99 3:56:19 PM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:

<< I understand your taking offense at Ralph's [IT  WASN'T MINE!] brutish
stereotype of college  students but you must take into account that every
other weekday morning [NOT TRUE: ONLY MON-TUES-WEDS]  before sunrise  [THAT
PART IS TRUE] Ralph gets on a stinky [IT USUALLY ISN'T STINKY BEFORE I GET
ON] bus in suburban New Jersey and with a  searing frown [GOD KNOWS THAT'S
TRUE] and a contenance [ASSUME YOU MEAN COUNTENANCE, RATHER THAN CONTINENCE]
to cut granite, heads East toward the  megalopolis of New York, rather than
having the leisure to head west toward  Ohio [WHY WOULD I WANT TO DO THAT?],
which may be a healthy move on his part if only he could find forage
amoungst the reeds and clay beds to support his family, and there esconsed in
 a cluttered ["CLUTTERED" DOESN'T BEGIN TO APPROXIMATE IT] office of like
minded design professionals [AND A COUPLE OF LOW MORONS] in a tower building
[WITH IT'S OWN ZIP CODE] on [EAST]  42nd Street [OPPOSITE REV RHODES' GRAND
CENTRAL TERMINAL] full of lawyers he battles the minions of duck shitters we
[WHAT DO YOU MEAN "WE",  LONG ISLANDER?]  amiably call urbanites, with the
intent of possibly maybe doing some good to  someone's architectural
patrimony. I don't forgive him for being blunt, he does not need it [SAYS
WHO?, ALTHOUGH NOT IN THIS CASE], but why take away an old man's [I GUESS
THAT'S RETALIATION FOR COMPARING YOU TO ABE SIMPSON, ISN'T IT, KEN?] blissful
illusion that he got there the hard way? [I NEVER CLAIMED TO HAVE GOTTEN HERE
THE HARD WAY--I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT DADDY PAID FOR EVERYTHING. MOSTLY.
HOWEVER, I WAS TOO STUPID TO ENJOY MYSELF] :-)
  >>

That Ken Follett, he writes some fiction.  But the defense is much
appreciated.  Could you talk to my wife, Ken?

Ralph