Hi Bj,

Thankfully, no one's account has been hacked and the mystery has been solved.  To put the best foot forward, suffice to say that it seems to have been due to a communication failure.  A member of our community was deleting old posts and has finally come forward to enlighten us all...

Thank you for your concern.

God bless,

Dave

Hi Jerilyn,

You are absolutely correct!  If only it would be so.

God bless,

Dave

Hi Peter,

Well, I finally got in.  It's 1:12 am...

Thanks for making the point about it not being just ALP where problems exist!  ALP is a fantastic community, but just like any community in the physical world on this planet, there are winners and weiners... (whiners?)

If anyone wants to get hold of Neil, just send me a PM through ALP with your email addy and I'll pass it on.  I have to do it this way out of respect for his privacy, but I'm sure he'll be glad to hear from anyone.

I love your quote from Walter Lippman!  If only everyone realized that! 

The world would be a most boring place if everyone thought the same way.  As the French so aptly put it, "Vive la différence!"

And "DO" IS therapy!!

God bless,

Dave

Hi Kenneth,

If anyone clearly understands the point of this thread, I sure know you do!  We are in the same boat, so to speak, as owners of communities as well as being members of this one.  In fact, just now, I had to wade through all the new signups at <a href="http://www.busybeesafelist.com/forum/index.php">BusybeeSafelist Community Forums</a> to weed out all the people selling sex, drugs and... uh... auto insurance, etc.  These are people who join over and over again, always post in the wrong place, and always advertise products and/or services that are banned on my sites.

Yes!  The Wizard of Oz is a great story and well worth owning as one of those movies you like to see again from time to time.  The lesson IS a good one:  help one another to succeed and you succeed, yourself.  It is interesting to note that helping others for the sole purpose of getting ahead, personally, will backfire.  People seem to have an uncanny radar of sorts for recognizing when they're being used.

Have a great weekend, Kenneth and thanks for speaking out.

God bless,

Dave

Hi David, There is a story that goes something like this. A man lost and thirsty comes upon a well in an isolated area.  A posted rule says "use the full bucket of water to prime the pump. leave the bucket full for the next person." A choice must be made.  If he uses the bucket of water to prime the pump and then it doesn't work, he will not have water.  If it  works and he is given water, the note asks that he looks out for the next person and leave a bucket of water. Do people know that when they break a rule they not only hurt themselves but others, in many cases someone they will never know or relate to.  There are times we must give in and follow what someone with experience tells us in faith.   Someone made the bucket rule for the previous user, present user and asks them to care enough to carry on the tradition for the next person who again will need to trust that the rule. "I " breaks the rules and "I" don't care about anyone but "I".  A society cannot live and survive that way.