"Geez Roger, Jasper...Come on, I was counting on you guys and Roark for some deep thinking!  Explain life to me, uncover the secrets...nudge your aging brains into action!"

I'm with them!  Reading down the thread, I remembered how out of my league I felt when I first started posting when it came to even finding my intellect to engage in the level of debate and discussion taking place here.  That's when I first realized how far behind and stunted I was. 

After reading the thread up to Swimming Free and Jasper, I started shrinking into the feeling that I've still got a long way to go!!  Before SW's post, I had decided to glowingly compliment Roak for his extraordinarily brilliant and well articulated list with the caveat that my post had no bearing on its merits.

If I were to have commented, it would likely have been much closer to PatD's:

"It's much less complicated to say fuck off to all 'teachers' who claim they can explain the ways of God to man, & to look on the previous claimants with a jaundiced eye..."

Having said that, I'd like to read more posts of thoughts about Mike's list... no one should feel any need to shut up, and all the comments so far are inspiring.  Regardless, please do enjoy your porch and these beautiful fading to gold days!