Conchlanders, A positive way to deal with a rough conversation is to change the subject to a more positive topic. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. One of the nicest things about Conch-L is that we always have several topics of conversation going on at once. It's a lively party where you can drift from one knot of people to another to talk or listen just as you like. The music is never too loud. And if you want to fight, the others will ask you to take your argument outdoors. It's good to remember that everyone you write here is read by almost 400 people, all over the world, and then archived on the Web. It's best to use standard, plain English most of the time. Remember that a few children participate in Conch-L as well as adults. And to tolerate the occasional lapses. In the past year, we've all learned that humor differs amazingly from person to person as well as from culture to culture, and is more important to some people than to others. I hope that the enjoyment that is spread by a joke outweighs the displeasure. Be yourself. An honest opinion is worth more than a "politically correct" one. Don't be the salt that loses its savor and is good for nothing. Still, there's another old saying that applies here: If you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything at all. I think the world of you people. You keep me amused, and I learn something new every day. I don't always follow my own rules, especially when I am nervy about a deadline, but you usually tolerate my lapses, and I'm grateful. As long as we keep focused on shells--any aspect of shells, from dreams to details--the party will be a good one. Andy Andrew K. Rindsberg Geological Survey of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA