If Elvira is posting incognito here she isn't calling herself fat and ugly, however well that shoe fits. She is too busy stroking herself, which is something she should do in private. <BR> <BR>Elvira has never hesitated to make her overbearing, obnoxious presence known. Posting incognito wouldn't satisfy her desperate need to be admired. Her little internet world is the only life she has, after all.

I quite frankly cannot understand the venom being leveled at Elvira. I really hope she doesn't even bother to qualify any of the hateful posts with a response. <BR> <BR>I am really struck by the cowards who can't bother to post their actual names or email addresses. their intelligence level is made quite clear by the PERSONAL attacks too (overweight and unattractive? oh give me a break. I mean really. can't you think of anything more original, if you are going to bother to be insulting?) <BR> <BR>my guess is that the ones who don't like her are jealous of her travels, and of her wit. <BR> <BR>get life, y'all.

Wow - smokesmokesmoke, cough, seeya, sandi, snake, smiley - what exactly did Elvira ever do to you? I don't think I'd say such vicious things about my worst enemy, let alone someone I've never met. Talk about needing to get a life and spend less time on this forum -I can't believe you all have nothing better to do than attack people for no apparent reason. <BR>I just hope that the ugliness that's cropping up more and more frequently on this forum (which is getting almost as bad as the US one) won't discourage people from asking and answering legitimate questions, or from regaling us with tales of their travels (like Elvira does, and no, I don't know her either.)

Many moons ago under my "[email protected]" monicker, I think I or someone else suggested that we should have a FAQ section. The idea was to give new posters some firm, but gentle, guidance that they should perhaps search (and read a guidebook) first, question later; and perhaps how to find such standard info and sites as train timetables and European weather forecasts. I bite my tongue, but I must admit that an occaisional sarcastic response is sometimes both witty and illustrative. However, the FAQ-type section might (if read) keep people from setting themselves up as a target.

As a pulmonary physician who reads the Europe postings very regularly, a) I'll admit that I never realized that Elvira smokede and b) that doesn't change my opinion of her a whit. Elvira's fantastic! She has offered an enormous amount of detailed info here, including, likely, answering the posts of some of you sniping whiners. Her choice to smoke is her own. It would certainly be better for her health if she didn't, but the last time I checked, tobacco wasn't a prescription drug and I'm pretty sure she's of legal age. Seeya, Smiley, Cough et al (and especially Smokesmokesmoke): if you're all familiar with Elvira, you too spend some time on this forum, probably don't contribute a fraction of her knowledge, and perhaps need a little less "little internet world" yourselves. Get off the Europe forum and go back to posting complaints about travel agents on the US forum if you are going to make personal attacks!

Boy, how does it happen that all you people here who just hate whiners, complainers, etc. line up here to b*tch and moan?? It's only complaining when OTHER people are doing it, right? It's laughable to read these posts which in all seriousness complain about everyone else who complains. <BR> <BR>Face it, we as humans are attracted to this sort of crap, and that's why these types of posts appear here and generate such huge numbers of responses. If you're here reading and posting, like I am right now, you're part of it, so get off your preachy little soapboxes. <BR> <BR>As far as Elvira, she has freely opened herself to criticism and/or praise through her voluntary participation in this forum, as we all have. If you choose to share your thoughts and opinions, especially on a controversial topic like smoking, be prepared to deal with adversaries. That's the way it is, like it or not. You cannot and never will control it, and complaining certainly isn't going to change it.

Terry, <BR>Do you mean that just by participating in this forum I can look forward to being called fat and ugly? I had no idea.