Thanks, O. K. -- and I do apologise. I never meant to be rude. Anyway, I hurry with this reply. I don't WANT to see 'philosophy' mispelled in the header, so please, if someone replies to W. O., do correct. I feel an illiterate in having starting the thread. Cheers, JLS Buenos Aires, Argentina --- In a message dated 7/2/2009 1:16:56 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, wokshevs@xxxxxx writes: Myriad implications of JL's questions notwithstanding - not all of them reputable, I fear - I wish to state publicly that the material remunerations bestowed upon me by employing institutions hardly count as a "wage" - as in a "living wage." I am reduced to leading a most humble eksistence, driving a 10 yr. old Volvo, barely supporting my children in Montreal and Bremen, able to buy philosophy books written only by Bergson, Berdyaev and Iggy, and, the ultimate humiliation, forced to drink blended Irish whiskey, even on Canada Day. Fortunately, none of this has anything to do with the enthusiasm expressed by my students, either for philosophy or for refurbishing my supplies of requisite pedagogical libation. And, needless to say, no student ever gifted me with a T-shirt (s)he was wearing at the time, be it grue or not. Walter O In blossom country (for another few days at least) **************Dell Summer Savings: Cool Deals on Popular Laptops – Shop Now! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1222696924x1201468348/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Faltfarm.mediaplex.com%2Fad%2Fck%2F12309%2D81939%2D1629%2D1) ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html