Dear Mike...
You da' man, as always!
It probably doesn't matter much --my opinion, that is-- but I'm actually
kind of glad that Marsha has posted some of the crap that she's been getting
in this supposed "news" group. You and others on this list have gone to great
extremes to squash that kind of "flaming" nonsense here as a result of the
acrimony that almost killed the list several weeks ago, before you took on the
mantle of continuing it and trying to return it to a civilized forum of
discussion about CS. And you've done quite well!
My point here is, I guess, two-fold: 1) I'm sure that most people on the
list, including myself, very much appreciate the technical and scientific
ground that is being explored and forwarded by many members here; this is very
important stuff, the ongoing efforts to figure out what is the *best* CS and
how *best* to make it at home. We're certainly not getting much help from
mainstream scientists and MDs with fat research budgets, so the efforts of the
"little guys" is SO applaudable.
2) No matter how much we here want to huddle with our incredible
anecdotal and increasing scientific evidence on the Silver List, and just
discuss those two aspects, the larger reality is that most of the world
doesn't know a damn thing about CS. We WANT more people to know about it, but
that inevitably entails sticking our necks out and getting arrows shot at us.
That's the way things go, like it or not.
Point being, Marsha's efforts and resultant "flames" are a relevant
example of this, and it's good of Marsha to post to us examples of this kind
of adversity. WHY? Because it might spark some of the rest of us into thinking
about how to better pass on the word about CS in both subtle and overt ways.
It's GOOD for the people on this list to witness the kind of crap that Marsha
has brought to our attention...it's part of the process. The more we can learn
about how best to pass on the "word" about CS, the better.
Marsha's examples should be part of this Silver List, I think. See, it's
very easy for any aspect of humanity to smother itself to death by cornering
itself into a hole in the ground under a log. That results in rot. Discussions
about the "social" aspects of CS and it's often uninformed opposers are
ultimately just as relevant and important as discussions about the scientific
aspects of this substance we're all circling around here. Any "cause" is
invigorated by new "air." Air is the enemy of rot, eh?
So, it's just my two pennies that there is absolutely nothing wrong with
us CS-heads being both defensive and offensive when necessary, and discussing
both aspects on the list -- in addition to the technical aspects being
advanced daily.
When appropriate, a little ass-kicking is good in this confused world.
And power to Marsha for being her feisty self!
But then, I may not know what the hell I'm talking about, eh?
Thanks, Mike, as always....
Mark
