Thanks, Michael. I wish you well.ok thanks, then. But, if anybody from US wants to go through me and if BDA and JPI don't object, let me know. It is not like I'll make much money on it! Probably just a little more than break even! Cheers, M.
Let me say this one more time: JPI to a great degree and BDA to some degree (they do receive an anual bequest from Dornach) support themselves by selling books. Hugh goes to great efforts to stock any thing related to biodynamics on his bookshelf. He also goes to great efforts to bring those books to public gatherings so that more people get an opportunity to learn about biodynamics and those of us who think we know about it get an opportunity to learn more. By doing this, Hugh is taking a risk: he is tying up his capital in the process of attempting to develop a bd userbase with greater knowledge and he's using a lot of his time and personal finances to make the books available either at conferences, over the phone or via mail. Implicit in this is his faith that I in turn will realize the value of his support and will support his efforts at any opportunity I have.
Since anyone on this list can call Hugh Courtney up and get sage BD advice from him for AT LEAST 15 minutes without him even implying he will charge for his time and since so many of him rely on his teaching to learn to make our own preps, I, mayself have to feel that I will take every opportunity to send what money I can his way because the 40% or so mark up on calendar will go TOWARDS offsetting the expenses Hugh incurs providing the vital service he provides. More to the point, if I do not buy my calendar from him, he may wind up with unsold 2003-2004 Northern Star calendars and thereby actually lose money while attempting to provide me the service of having EVERY hard-to-find BD book in stock.
If I buy from you, well, what am I supporting? An individual who wants to economically compete with fragile BD initiatives? Well, I kind see how that will do anyone, even Michael Roboz any good.
It's really important that we consciously return energy to its source or, of course, one day it will run out of energy. (See Marie Steiner's comments, which have been posted to this list, on what became of RS because people took so much and returned so little.)
I do thank you for providing the service of telling the group about this calendar. Not to take anything from your efforts, I'm certain, however, that between now and Easter 2003 (when the calendar actually becomes effective -or- the current calendar becomes ineffective), Brian Keats himself would have made an announcement to the list.
Again, I hate to be a snore about this, but I think it's very important that we look out for those who look out for us. Simple mercantile transactions are one way of doing so.
I fail to see issues of individual freedom over the efforts of a movement being anything other than devolution in action in a situation like this.
-Allan
