Hello John,
 With regards:
 JG> I appreciated your message.  Thanks for helping out!
 I try.  I'm not sure how much good it does. :(  We all see things
 from our own perspective and we have difficulty putting ourselves
 in another person's shoes... but developing an ability to do so,
 helps us immensely when we reach points of disagreement.
 JG> I guess in the world there are collector type people, and
 JG> non-collector type people, with the latter group disliking
 JG> the practice practiced by the former group.
 I've never been a serious collector of anything.  As a child,
 I did what my friends did.  We collected trading cards and
 doubloons from Mardi Gras parades.  It wasn't for the money.
 It was just something kids did.  I gave it up a long time ago. :)
 I talked with my niece and nephew recently.  One of them had been
 developing a serious collection of cards featuring super-heroes.
 We learned a lot from each other.  When they explained to me that
 the cards with the embossed signatures were worth more, I asked them
 to think about why that would be true.  We then explored the reasons
 why some things are rare and others abundant, why a person's signature
 would be worth something and why people value an "embossed signature."
 All I can say is that I find the world into which I've been born,
 a most strange world indeed.  Children are indoctrinated almost
 from the moment they are born.  We're programmed to be consumers!
   "Here... this is a POG.  You're going to want to collect these.
   They're special!  And the ones that have the pretty colors and
   the embossed signatures are worth even more.  What's that?  Yeah..
   I know it looks like the top from a milk bottle.  That's because
   the first POGS were milk bottle tops.  But now they're really cool!
   Really!  Now save up your lunch money and buy a lot of them so you
   will have the biggest and best collection in the neighborhood!!"
 And so it goes.
 Collecting habits vary and change as we grow older... toys of all kinds,
 dolls, stamps, coins, spoons, plates, blue glass, books, jewelry, shoes,
 fishing gear, antique cars, stocks and bonds... the reasons for doing so
 vary as much as the collections and the people involved.
 John, I see a better world that's almost in reach... it's a world
 similar to the one portrayed on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
 The personal computer may not be as powerful as the Holodeck, but
 by virtue of the Internet and the world wide web, we can explore
 the universe, real and imagined, in ways never before possible.
 Our personal computers don't produce food on the spot, (yet)
 but you can use your computer to order pizza and other things. :)
 We're moving into an era where information is available _upon demand_.
 That frees us from the need to maintain large collections of books,
 videos and "hard copies" on site.  And that is very liberating!
 Well... that's enough food for thought. :)
  Take care,         _\|/_   |   _ _
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   Gibber                   _|
   Gipper                   \
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