Preacher wrote on Mar 29^th, 2011 at 4:21pm:

mastertangler wrote on Mar 28th, 2011 at 5:09pm: Touche' You've mis-spelled 'Douche'   ;)

Good one preacher......well done.  ;D

Benjamin Franklin the world class statesman would often preface his remarks thusly........"it is my belief"......"I am of the opinion" and many others likewise. This nuance made his beliefs much more palatable to the listener as ST so adroitly pointed out.

Likewise, I believe the converse is true that when one makes broad sweeping assertions of absolute fact it is generally not received well for it dismisses any opposing view and indeed tends to foster contention. Do you have a lot of contentious relationships? Applying this simple yet profound style of discourse may help alleviate conflicts. Your points are still expressed howbeit in a manner more acceptable to the listener. It also intrinsically shows respect for others as they now feel fully free to express their own opinion without crossing swords. And who knows......as has often been demonstrated on this very forum you could be wrong and you might learn something (sorry, I couldn't resist ;) ).

Since you have thus far refused the peace gift of the super duper fishing spots that I offered I will instead make the above counsel and advice available to you at no charge. You can thank me later.

MT