I truly enjoyed what parts of the conference I actually attended. I am far from affluent, yet for me, it was a chance to reconnect with my eldest daughter who lived very close to La Toretta.

I hate to possibly re-open the perceived wounds that may have been inflicted in this thread, yet I feel compelled to say a couple things.

First, the epithets laid on Sunil are the exact opposite traits I personally know he possesses. Sparky, I love our debates we have had, and though at times we could get personal, we tried hard to keep it light-hearted on very touchy topics, and we communicated privately in rough discussions out of what I felt is a genuine respect for one another...

Sparky, Tony, I feel you will consider and respect my following thoughts....This forum, nor the conferences, are in any way geared toward the "affluent"! If you feel they are, perhaps you should delve into your personal reasons for those beliefs, rather than insist everyone adhere to your belief? If you have "all the knowledge" you will ever need for your pond, wonderful, yet I have always thought of you as an intelligent man, so please understand when I ask you how in the world you accomplished knowing all you'll ever need to know when you are clueless as to what you do not know??? It is factually impossible for you to know any value your ROI may or may not have brought you by attending any or all conferences??? You may very well be right that you'd gain nothing of value to yourself at a conference, or here on the forum...One may make it a self-fulfilling failure to gain knowledge also, if they maintain a closed mind and anticipate nothing but the worst, whereas an open mind will see and consider something that can be used or modified somehow to reach, or even discover, a new goal....

I just read this entire thread and was very disappointed in how it devolved, yet am glad it has not been locked....


My last thought is....From a solitary viewpoint, you can look closely for something good in everything, you can look closely for the bad in everything, and both views will be deluded and distorted....Taking a look at everything again, from another angle or viewoint, and you will see it all entirely differently