I'll be offline for a few days and just wanted to thank everyone who has been participating positively in this discussion over the last week or so. It's been very rewarding for me as it always is when I can see my views evolving. Thanks Alex (please tell me if you don't like this shortened form of your name) for the book suggestions and fresh perspectives and thanks Tom for the good feedback.

BTW Alex, that thing I said about philosophy was one of my major all-time emotion-driven bloopers. I have nothing but respect for the field of philosophy and those who seriously immerse their minds into that difficult zone - even if my materialistic mind misses much of what's going on.

I hope this thread is still going strong when I get back.

Margaret