Welcome to BJ's Building Blocks

Welcome to BJ's Building Blocks!! I hope to do a lot of things here, but primarily I want to provide a safe, positive environment where our diverse community, friends, allies and opponents can share, learn and discuss the complex issues we face today. We should be able to ask tough questions and air our differences in a non-combative setting where each participant knows their opinions, hopefully expressed with grace, are valued. We may run against the grain sometimes but I will do my best to maintain a site known for its style, grace and humor. It is my fervent prayer that items here will never become a test of fellowship, but simply provide a basis for fruitful exchange. I am certain to miss the mark on occasion, but please know I am going to do my best. For now, there is no set schedule, no set subject matter; I plan to range wide guided by my heart and sometimes my sense of humor. I am not here to change anyone, only to present one side of the story and allow you a place to present another. So relax, it is not necessary to defend yourself, but if you like, feel free to share what's on your mind.

For this inaugural post, I will share some guidelines that I would like all of us to strive for. These are a hodgepodge of my own thoughts and those gleaned from other sources. They are not rules. If these guidelines are observed, I think we can have a wonderful place that will add value to our Community and impact the world around us. So, get your blocks, grab a cookie, find a mat and let's review.

• Treat everyone with courtesy and respect. Take the high road, always.
• Remember your manners.
• Read posts carefully (listen) and don't read too much into the words.
• Ask questions, do not assume.
• Think before you write, then write what you think, then think it over, then write it over.
• Personal attacks are NEVER appropriate; not even in response to an attack. Take it offline.
• No one is all right or all wrong so season your words carefully, you may have to eat them.
• Facts are facts and can be verified.
• Everyone is entitled to their opinions and has the right to express them.
• Feelings are illogical, they just are. They may need to be explained, but never justified.
• Actions are not feelings and always require justification.
• It is OK to disagree and be friends

I welcome your comments and will actually be delighted to engage in healthy, even spirited discourse. But please, check emotions at the URL and come prepared to rationally discuss your thoughts. I relish the opportunity to learn from you, but I admit that I have no patience for ad hominem drivel or verbosity for verbosity's sake. Don't be too disappointed if I remain somewhat intractable in my thoughts. Age has a tendency to stiffen things, including my neck. In any case, I hope we can be friends.

Take Care,

Billie