chas ... first, I've never NOT considered you a friend, even 'back in the day' when we had some more serious difference of opinions ...
But I just want to make a couple of points - friend to friend - and please read this knowing I do not have an 'argumentative attitude' as I am writing it ... just normal conversation ...

Mark's OP said nothing about arrangers ... you brought arrangers into the conversation, and in a negative way ...

I 'cherry picked' a couple of comments because someone, somewhere in this far too overly long discourse someone said something to the effect that you never said anything to insult anyone, and quite frankly, I WAS insulted by those remarks so I felt a need to point that out ... and while you say they were taken out of context, I find it hard to think that in context they were anything but far from a compliment to arranger players ...
And perhaps you don't understand why these comments got under my skin (hmmm, there could be a song there ) because you are NOT an arranger player ...
And also, perhaps, if I had YOUR talent (and don't give me that "third rate hack musician" stuff because I have you on my iPOD which proves otherwise ) and played a B3 I might feel about arrangers as you do ...

And yes, we'll live a lot longer if we just buy what we want, play what we want, like what we like, and pay less attention to what other people think, and let others do the same without criticizing them for it, which IMHO your comments were doing ... perhaps you didn't mean to, but from an arranger player's side of the fence it certainly seemed like you were ...

I never said you criticized anyone personally, because I've never seen you do that ...

And YES, life IS far too short for all this petty crap, and that becomes all too real when we are on a gurney in a hospital ER wondering 'What The *** ' is going on inside my chest ... unfortunately I been there too many times ... but just as unfortunate is the fact that when we get past it, we too often return to the minutiae of everyday life, and the petty becomes a big deal again ...

So, I have said my piece, will move on and if you allow me I will remain your friend, and CONTINUE to be "a 'peacemaker', 'straight shooter', 'fair and balanced' in all things MEANINGFUL in life ...

BUT, a Big Mac will NEVER be on my bucket list ...