There's a poster on Diary-L whom I believe in incapable of saying anything nice. She could say "good morning" and make it an argument. I made my Bessette comment and she jumped right onto it. And again when I replied (pointing out an inaccuracy about the front page of the NYTimes.) I decided to take it private, and this is what I said: (I figure her quotes were posted to the list, not private e-mail, so I can quote them.)

You state:

"Actually they were. And I don't think watching a half-hour qualifies you
to make such a sweeping statement."

Actually, I had the radio and tv blathering in the background most of
yesterday, too, and didn't hear much about the Bessettes, all about the
poor Kennedys.  Of course, the curse is interesting, whereas a simple
family who aren't making comments is not.

Is it possible for you to post a message without being abrasive?  Just
wondering.  It should be possible for you to disagree with someone
without making their backs go up.

"I've heard a great deal. Do you consider a front-page story in the NY
Times coverage? They've also been mentioned by name by every news anchor
I've watched.

Sorry to crash your theory."

is really quite abrasive.  You could have left off the last sentence and
been a lot less annoying.  (Never mind the inaccuracy about the NYTimes) 

However, it's not worth another flame war.  Sorry to disappoint you.

(She suggests I should stay out of diary-l because that's the way it is. It certainly is since she got there, I haven't seen a nice comment from her on the list. She also suggests I avoid her. No problem. I've done it in the past, I can do it again.)

My Bessette comment got some other replies that were more to the point. Meanwhile, Miss Abrasive has jumped fullfeet into the major flame war stemming from this. Someone else has posted about her manners and all she did was attack the poster.

Speaking of flame wars... you shouldda seen Rich's face when Wowbagger brought him the mini-welder. First he was puzzled, but as Wowbagger explained, the most EVIL grin spread over my pyromaniac spouse's face. It's bad enough Roni gives him water weapons and the occasional crossbow, but this is ridiculous!

Wowbagger also brought a laser pointer for the cats. Fitch, in particular, was hilarious skidding all over the floor to get that dot!
Their eyes are still running. We'll have to see the vet about this, and of course, the operations are soon. Fitch has a favorite napping spot. He is getting bigger too, and I think closer in size to Crombie, or else he's grown just as much as she has, so he's proportionally bigger than he was.

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I'm three pounds down, lowest it's been since June of last year, or as a regular thing, two years ago. Yay!! 10 pounds, four weeks. Things are looking up (or, accurately, down). I walked all of about 3 miles. Three magazines read, and that's about it.