We had the usual conversation about which Pelicans we've met out in the world, I think Hugh has to hold the record with maybe 40-50(?) actual face-to-face encounters due to his constant travel and free "dinner and drinks" time when away from home. The constant theme is that almost to a man (or woman), we are a lot more moderate and sane in reality than on the interweb arguing politics and theology. There are a few exceptions; Mulholland really is crazier than a shyt house rat in person, (politically), but he's also as nice as they come.
The way that Hugh put it is that what you find is that most of us are slightly to the right or left of center but not that far from the mean. My own final political score is probably right of center when you factor in all of my views on the so-called "big issues".
To say that we get along well in person would be a major understatement. Solid friendships are the norm; we're part of what outsiders would consider a weird online fraternity but it's as tight as any real fraternal organisation in the gravity world, IMO. We can argue and fight amongst ourselves but would band together against any *foreign intruder*.
