[Tichy]

Ok, I'm sorry if my annoyance with licker may have derailed the discussion...and I'll admit to taking some pleasure in prodding him once I realized it produced such entertaining responses.

But, licker, are you saying that no one involved in a discussion on an internet forum should be held to minimal standards of reasoning, or be called out when he or she violates them? If so, that's great, but no one needs to take anything you say on this forum seriously after that.

One thing that I like about the Dom3 forum is that this game seems to select for smart people who like to argue about things.

But debating and arguing are different. Debate is about trying to defeat your opponent; it's basically a sport. An argument is an attempt to show that an opinion is correct, with the expectation that others will carefully look at the reasons you offer for your opinion, and cry foul when it appears you are appealing to debaters' tricks instead of offering reasons in good faith.

I apologize if you thought I was using "argument" in the colloquial sense of an angry exchange.

Oh, and, enjoy your trip!