minstrel: Apologies, and Sources Questionable

[Mike C. Baker]

Unto the minstrel at pbm.com mailing list, some words 
about words, and sources, and email:

> APOLOGIA:
> The vehemence of the detractors for the source you
> offered are biased strongly upon past experience
> with other offerings from the publisher in question.

OK, looks like I over-reacted, and some of you called 
me on that (in public and in private communications). 
Others supported me,for which I ask that you believe 
that the following letter in no  way diminishes what 
you have offered in the way of support.

Upon review of what had passed before, and what 
I stated in response, I see that I _was_ overly harsh in
my words. For that extreme of tone, I am truly sorry.

In my own defense, I must speak briefly about what 
lay behind the words.  I have seen too many newly 
arrived in electronic fora who felt themselves to be 
savaged by what were, again a retrospective, 
strongly stated positions that had no particular 
personal implications. 

I plead as much for temperance as for willingness 
to explain without particular interpersonal emotion. 

I plead for consideration of the differences between 
the levels of scholarship represented on this list.

And I hold that my admonitions, about learning how 
to effectively convey emotional content without 
giving the appearance of "attack" on the person 
behind a position, still hold in the general sense.  
I obviously still need to learn better how to do this 
myself, at least better than I did in the current exchange.

> COMMENTARY ON SOURCE:
> While not personally familiar with this new source 
> you cite, I would encourage that anyone using it as 
> a starting point for research verify the sources in 
> the bibliography of the book AND actively check 
> any critical points in at least two other non-Llewellyn 
> publications before basing much on them.

I promised additional words about sources:  it is 
unfortunate that an entire publishing house has 
built such a reputation as that Llewellyn as so 
richly earned.  They aren't the only house that 
should be considered on the "verify, verify, and 
verify again" list, however -- and not only on 
semi-scholarly works, either.  (Their recent record 
on metaphysical materials has been declining at 
an aggravating rate -- can anyone else say 
"money machine"?)  Some of the other publishers 
to be very wary of include Bridge Publications, 
The Theosophical Society, Regnery, The Summit 
Group, and Castle Books.

Anybody have other nominees for "boulder of salt"
accuracy status?

Mike C. Baker
SCA: Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra
"Other": Kihe Blackeagle (the Dreamsinger Bard)
My opinions are my own -- who else would want them?
e-mail: kihe at ticnet.com OR kihe at rocketmail.com



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