@Thinker: Part of GALing is meeting new friends. I feel like I have met some great new friends here - even if we never meet in person.
Fact, Stone. Written in. One each. (Ex-military will get it.)
I had the privilege of meeting a great new friend (? - one hopes) from the DB community in person yesterday. Odd as it was initially -- it must be somewhat like computer dating -- it quickly became just a "normal thing" (for me anyway). Maybe that's how we meet people these days? I don't know. But whatever. I guess there aren't really bowling leagues anymore....
But the Meeting (and I mean that in the verb and not noun sense) was superb. A terrific person. Who knows who Him/Herself is.