Thanks, Maryann for catching this! And thanks everyone for the Happy Birthday wishes! Keeping with the statistics theme, my special thanks to our oldest member still active here, Peter Richards, who jumped aboard only three days after me, and to our newest member already active here with posts to his credit, Billy Dean!

Cheers,
...Alex

Thank you, indeed, Alex.

Like Susan and many others, I have learned an enormous amount here. This has most often been the result of considering why the poems of others worked for me or did not work and then putting this into words in a comment. For this I am grateful to Alex and to all those down the years whose lines have pricked me into thought.

I have been a member since 2001, and, again like Susan, I regret the fallings out that have occurred, on more than one occasion, during that time. Poetry matters a great deal to those to whom it matters (to people like me, of course), but it is not an ultimate good (if, indeed, such a thing exists).

Clive

Thank you from me too, Alex. I learned most of what I know about poetry here and I am very thankful to you for that.

Over the years you have done a tremendous amount of work to make the ‘Sphere the fine place it is. You have kept the technology up to date, arranged staffing, dealt with design and management, and assembled the issues of AbleMuse. You have treated it as a labour of love and have been tolerant of the ups and downs along the way, always trying to sift fairness and compromise from the varied input you receive.

Thank you for all you have done and best wishes for the next ten years.

John

Sonnet Central is also celebrating its tenth anniversary:

http://thesonnetboard.yuku.com/topic/7280

After ten years
of courting the Muse,
Eratosphere enters
its Terrible Twos!

Congratulations, Alex. This place has made me the poet I am today, but it's also done a lot of good. Do I curse or bless you to wish for ten more years? In either event, that's what I wish for.

Alex,

I never would have guessed that the act of analyzing another's poem
could fortify my own writing skills. Thus, the writer is edified and the reader and analyzer is edified. Your steady hand, Alex, deserves much of the credit.

Many thanks,
Lance Levens (joined 2003)

Thank you, Alex, for all your efforts. I've learned a lot from the poets here and have made some friends along the way. There are quite a few Spherians who attend the West Chester Poetry Conference every year, and it's always great meeting others face to face. I hope you can make it East next June. It would be great to meet you, too. :)

Patti

Thanks again, everyone for this birthday bash!

Cheers,
...Alex