Hey Everyone--
   I'm Don Oldenburg, the Washington Post writer who put this list in the
newspaper yesterday. I want to thank all of you who had kind words about the
story--and especially I want to thank those of you who helped me by
explaining your experience here and your insights into the list. Tom
Carrington and Joel Walker were essential to the piece and a reporter's
dream, both of them--but there were others here who helped me out and didn't
make the story due to space limitations (in newspapers, you mostly write to
fit--or get inches cut).
   And, yes, in reply to a couple of the posts yesterday here, I've been
around this list for a couple years, mostly lurking, sometimes going into the
fray--I have fixed the evil odometer thing, replaced a coolant hose and
repaired a sliding door on my '90 Vanagon, all because of you folks. I
regularly read about you and your Vanagons and what broken lately and how you
survived it. As I told my editor to convince her I should do this story, this
is one great microcosm and a hell of a great place to hang out virtually.
   So, again, thanks to you all--whether you were in the story or not, you
were part of it and why it even became a story.
    Best--
    Don

   BTW, now to the real reason I wrote--why are the posts at the bottom
quarter or so of my digests all clumped together lately? Anyone?

[text/html]